no one told me Brian Mendoza Saturday's PBC show in Las Vegas has been saved, and now the headliner is Tim Tze–Sebastian Fundora Junior middleweight title fight. But Mendoza's early professionalism allowed him to shuffle the rest of the card relatively smoothly.
Mendoza (22-3, 16 KOs) takes pride in staying in shape. Keith Thurman Due to injury, PBC card was readjusted.Fundora was promoted from semi-main event to main event against Tszyu, but remained there. Serhiy Bokhatyuk (23 wins, 1 loss, 23 KOs) No dance partner. Until Mendoza called.
“Yes, obviously they took it.” [Tszyu’s] Fundora had to go up, because the opponent was away from him, and [Bohachuk] I wish it hadn’t happened,” Mendoza said. “So now we're fighting for an interim title and that's what's important.”
Mendoza emphasized that this was a perfect example of his philosophy of “Be prepared so you don't have to be prepared.''
“You know, this is not the type of fight you go into with two weeks' notice,” Mendoza said. “He's a dangerous opponent. But like I said, we're ready. We've been sparring with Tim Tzu and getting in shape. Eric Priest, who just fought on the Golden Boy card last week. We just stayed very sharp. ”
Mendoza, 30, remains firmly rooted in his mission and avoids getting too excited between matches. In his last two fights, Mendoza coincidentally boxed both fighters in Saturday's main event, effectively knocking out Fundora before losing a decision to Tse in Australia.
It's well documented that Fandora was already training and ready to slot into the Bills. But what state was Mendoza in when his call came?
“Oh, all this preparation also applies to my diet,” he said. “I eat clean, eat healthy, and maintain a healthy weight all year round. I'll do everything I need to do. Even in this short camp, they told me I could be a reserve for this card, so no stone is left unturned.
“We were going 110 percent just to say, ‘Maybe.’ But they told me, if this doesn’t work out, maybe.” [a fight in] April. So we were moving full speed ahead. This is when preparation meets opportunity. ”
Bokhachuk is originally from Ukraine but is based in Los Angeles and has a formidable 100 percent KO record. Mendoza recalls seeing Bohachuk's only loss, when he was stopped in the eighth inning. Brandon Adams In 2021.
“I’m a boxing fan, so I saw his fight with Brandon Adams years ago,” Mendoza said. “I always watch a lot of boxing, so I’ve been watching him over the years and I feel like there are a lot of holes in his game that I can exploit.
“I feel like I'll be stopped before the 12th round.”
Like many other fighters, Mendoza will have his sights set on the main event. As a fan, of course, but also because his goal is to face the winner if he succeeds.
“Obviously I'm fighting for the WBC provisional representative and I'm going to be a must-have for the winner of that, because they're fighting for the overall title,” Mendoza said. “So of course my eyes will be glued to that fight. I'm very interested in it.”
He also thinks the blend of Fundora and Tszyu is more appealing than his natural opponent, Thurman.
“I actually think so because their styles match,” Mendoza said. “Obviously, Keith Thurman is an elite fighter and good in every way. I feel like this style of matchup will be a real fireworks.”
