Mark Magsayo gets his shot at glory next Saturday night.
Magsayo takes on Gary Russell Jr. for the WBC featherweight title live on Showtime. The event takes place from Borgata, Atlantic City, New Jersey.
For Magsayo, this is the chance to prove himself in front of the world.
“I’m very thankful to my whole team for making this fight happen. I’ve been training for three and a half months now, so I’m going to be well prepared for this fight,” Magsayo said. “I don’t think Gary has faced anyone since he became champion that has the skills that I have. I’m going to go in there to show him something he’s never seen before and we’ll see how he reacts.”
The 26-year-old from the Philippines is a perfect 23-0 in his career. He won the WBO international featherweight title in August with a knockout of Julio Ceja.
Of his 23 wins, 16 have been via knockout for Magsayo.
“I learned a lot from the Ceja fight. That gave me a lesson on how to adjust in the middle of a fight. It’s going to help me against Russell,” he said. “I respect Gary Russell Jr., he’s a great champion, but I’m winning this fight on January 22. I want to prove to the people everywhere that I’m the best featherweight in the world.
“I’m going to show the world that I’m the best at this weight. This is the fight that I’ve wanted for a long time. I’ve been waiting patiently for my chance and I’m ready to do my best.”
Russell has made five title defenses since winning the belt in 2015.