Former bantamweight world champion Emmanuel Rodriguez plans to turn into a two-time world champion in emphatic trend when he battles streaking contender Melvin Lopez for the vacant IBF Bantamweight World Championship dwell on Showtime on Saturday, August 12 in a Premier Boxing Champions occasion from The Theater at MGM Nationwide Harbor in Maryland.
“We’re coming to knock Melvin Lopez out,” mentioned Rodriguez. “I imagine that I shall be dominating the battle by the sixth, seventh or eighth spherical. It’s going to be only a matter of time.
“Our purpose is to drive him again as a result of we all know he has an aggressive fashion and popularity. We’re going to forestall that by preventing in the midst of the ring or pinning him towards the ropes. If we’ve to regulate, I’m assured we’ll nonetheless achieve success.”
Rodriguez held the IBF title from Might 2018 till dropping the belt to Naoya Inoue of their Might 2019 conflict. Most lately, Rodriguez put himself again into world title competition by defeating the beforehand unbeaten Gary Antonio Russell in October 2022. At the moment coaching within the metropolis of Jiquipilco, Mexico, Rodriguez believes that his expertise and psychological edge would be the distinction maker on battle night time.
“My expertise goes to make all of the distinction,” mentioned Rodriguez. “Not simply my expertise, but additionally my abilities and my high quality as a fighter. The hot button is to take Lopez out of his consolation zone. If you’re out of your consolation zone, you make errors. This battle shall be 70% psychological and 30% bodily. I’m a savvy fighter.”
‘Being undisputed is difficult and it’s my final purpose’
Representing his native Manati, Puerto Rico, Emmanuel Rodriguez can turn into the nation’s fourth present male world champion with a win on August 12. Along with extremely embellished ladies’s champion Amanda Serrano, Rodriguez seems to affix 140-pound champion Subriel Matias, 108-pound champion Jonathan Gonzalez and 105-pound champion Oscar Collazo.
“Turning into the fifth present Puerto Rican world champion could be wonderful,” mentioned Rodriguez. “Subriel Matias is right here coaching with me and we speak daily. Oscar Collazo and I are shut too, and we keep in contact. All of us root for one another. Matias at all times tells me to imagine in myself and is an actual motivator for me. Boricuas are using the wave of success and we’ve to benefit from the second.”
Rodriguez hopes to work in direction of turning into undisputed at 118-pounds, a journey that might see him a matchup with lately topped WBC Bantamweight World Champion Alexandro “Peque” Santiago, who received the title final weekend with a formidable efficiency towards future Corridor of Famer Nonito Donaire on Showtime PPV. If Rodriguez is profitable subsequent weekend, he hopes to make that battle the subsequent within the storied ring historical past of Puerto Rico vs. Mexico.
“Being undisputed is difficult and it’s my final purpose,” mentioned Rodriguez. “Santiago’s efficiency shocked me quite a bit. I didn’t assume he would win, however he fought flawlessly and placed on a clinic towards Donaire. ‘Peque’ wasn’t little in any respect, he appeared massive. I hope he will be my subsequent opponent to unify titles in one other version of the Puerto Rico vs. Mexico rivalry.”
Within the UK and Australia, Rodriguez vs Lopez airs dwell on Sunday, August 13.