Yusaf Mack v Glen Johnson has finally been confirmed as the main event on ESPN on the 5th February in Glen Johnson’s home town of Florida at the NSU Center Arena in Miami. The Super Bowl weekend fight is almost guaranteed to be a cracker, both fighters know this is there big chance to get back on top with the winner becoming the mandatory challenger to IBF champion Tavoris Cloud, a fight likely to happen in May. Yusaf Mack has been in camp since the 6th November after he was originally scheduled to fight Karo Murat in late December.
On speaking to Mack regarding all the changes of fight times and opponents we asked has this effected his preparation for the biggest fight of his life, his response “Hell no, I am in the best shape of my life, I have worked really hard and cut no corners and I am ready to light up the light heavyweight division. I was initially upset when the Murat fight was cancelled but that led to the Johnson fight which is a far better fight for me, if I had beaten Murat he is an untested fighter and I would not have been given the deserved credit, now I have Johnson he has won a world title a few times, he has been involved in a crazy number of title fights, he has been in with the best and beaten the best. When I beat Glen Johnson people cannot deny I am one of the top guys out there. In regards to the time I have been in camp, my trainer John Tandy has controlled my training superbly and only now I am ready to peak just in time for the fight, I feel great, look great and I will fight great..
Tandy was also spoken too in regard to how he has kept his man focused and not burned him out, he said “We were lucky to find out the fights were cancelled or postponed with enough time to adjust the training to ensure Yusaf didn’t peak too early, Yusaf has worked his ass off and is in tremendous condition, my thanks go out to the others involved, Yusaf’s chief sparring partner Prince Badi has done an impeccable job of impersonating Glen Johnson’s style and Kris Andrews who has also helped out in sparring, thanks to Armstrong Performance and Treatment Centre who have worked closely with Yusaf, thanks to the Goossen’s gym who have given us great work, guys like Edison Miranda and all the guys down there, Fortunes Gym in Hollywood as well, now we are going to win this fight because of all your help, it has been a real team effort. Yusaf is in the best shape I have seen him in since we got together in January 2008, he is now ready to show the world how good he can be.
