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Former featherweight titlist and current junior lightweight contender Shakur Stevenson (14-0, 8 KO) is set to return to the ring this Saturday night on ESPN, as he closes Top Rank’s 2020 schedule in a main event battle with Toka Kahn Clary (28-2, 19 KO).
Stevenson sat down with Brian Campbell of Morning Kombat to discuss this Saturday’s fight and more. Some quotes:
On being the division below the young guns at lightweight
“I wish I was at 135, that’s where all the smoke is at, and I wish I was there with some of the other young fighters, but 130 is my weight class. I’ve gotta take over the 130 weight class, and there’s definitely some big names there, too.”
On Toka Kahn Clary, Stevenson’s opponent on Saturday
“I think that he’s really being slept on. I think a lot of people don’t think he’s as good as he is, but I’ve watched him fight, I think he’s a solid fighter. He makes a lot of mistakes but he also does a lot of things good. But I think it’s gonna be a great performance by me, I’m just coming in there to perform. I don’t care how good he is, I don’t care what’s in front of me, I just know that I gotta perform.”
How to Watch Stevenson vs Clary
Date: Saturday, Dec. 12 | Start Time: 10 pm ET (Main Card), 7 pm ET (Prelims)
Location: Top Rank Bubble, MGM Grand - Las Vegas, NV
Stream: ESPN+ (Prelims) | TV: ESPN (Main Card)
Online Coverage: BadLeftHook.com
On seeing Teofimo Lopez knock off Vasiliy Lomachenko
“It made more motivated than anything. I’m actually a friend of Teofimo and I was proud of him. He dared to be great at such a young age, and that kind of motivated me and made me want to do more. I’m ready to get in big fights and show the world I can do what he just did.”
On his short-term goals at 130
“If I’m being honest with you about who I’d pick, I know I’m the mandatory for (the Herring-Frampton) winner, then I’d say (Miguel) Berchelt because he’s the big, bad killer of the division. Lomachenko is cool and all, but he’s coming off a loss and I don’t think it’d be too wise of him to call out for me or try to come in my weight class and say just because he was too small for 135, he lost to Teofimo. I don’t think that’d be too smart. 130 is my weight class, and I just feel like if he comes down here, he’s gonna get something that he don’t want. He shouldn’t do that. I’m gonna give him a fair warning that he shouldn’t do that.”
On how he feels he’d do against Lomachenko
“I feel like if me and Lomachenko fight, I think I’d beat him worse than Teofimo. And not saying anything against Teofimo, he put in a dominant performance. I just feel like I’d win every round. It’d be hard for him to win any rounds.”
On what more he still has to show in the ring
“Everybody always talks about my footwork, my skills, and they don’t understand I got that dog in me. They don’t understand that. A lot of people just see me — great footwork, speed, great defense, but if I gotta fight, I’m gonna fight. I’m a fighter at heart. I ain’t soft at all. And if Toka Kahn gets in there with something different, and he pushes me and brings something out of me, you’re gonna see every bit of it.”