Mallorca Boxing: Diego Krasimirov

In preparation for this interview, I looked at Diego’s Instagram profile, which reads: “Future World Champion”Does anyone remember? I'm sure many of you saw the TV interview where 6-year-old Novak Djokovic spoke about his goal to become “the best in the world”. And we all know how that story ended… So, ahead of the biggest fight of Diego's life so far, I sat down with him and his British head coach, Paul Hamilton (former professional boxer and trainer of world champions with 35 years of boxing experience)We spoke to him in detail about how he's preparing for the show, which will be held in Mallorca in June, and what his plans are for the future.

Q: Please introduce yourself. Who is Diego?

Diego: I'm a 20-year-old professional boxer born in Palma, Mallorca to Bulgarian parents. I've been boxing for about 10 years now, starting at a very young age. I was with the Spanish national team for a while, then I decided to go professional.

Q: How and why did you get into this sport?

Diego: To be honest, there was no particular reason why I started boxing. I didn't do well in school, so I ended up dropping out. I'd always loved martial arts. There was a boxing gym close to my house, so I looked into it and knew that's where I wanted to be. Boxing was what I wanted to do.

Q: What does a typical day look like? How much time does your specialized training take?

Diego: When I'm in camp (preparing for a match), I follow a strict routine: wake up early, train, eat a pre-planned meal, take a nap, train some more, eat again. Training ranges from 10km runs, strength and conditioning training, sprints, cycling and cardio, and of course boxing. I have no personal time during camp; I'm completely focused on preparing for the match. When I'm outside camp, my days are a bit more relaxed.

Q: Who are the people around you that helped make all of this happen?

Diego: I have my family cheering me on, my team includes my head coach Paul Hamilton, my strength coach Danny Garcia, my British nutritionist Peter Bell and my manager Oscar Zandian, Amanda Bergren takes all of my photos and videos and my social media is managed by Zed Tosti.

Q: What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?

Diego: I've had three professional fights so far, all of which I won by knockout.

Pole: None of the three fighters Diego has knocked out had been knocked out before, and he is the first Spanish boxer to be sponsored by Sports Direct UK and Everlast. [the biggest name in the boxing industry] He got a proper contract. This shows that his talent was recognized. He got this contract because he was seen as a big, promising player from Spain. Usually Everlast only sponsors champions, but they sponsored him right away!

Q: Tell us about this next fight.

Diego: It will take place on June 7th at 7pm at the Palau d'Esports Melani Costa in Calvia. Tickets are on sale now from Fit Club, my trainer Paul and myself. Details of where they are available will be announced soon.

Pole: Due to technical reasons, tickets for this match are not available for sale online, however we are working to make them available for sale online for future matches in Mallorca.

Q: How do you prepare for a match?

Diego: I am currently in training and following the training and nutrition program designed by the team I mentioned earlier. For the first time I will fight for eight rounds instead of six. This is another step I am taking in my preparations.

Q: What can we expect on the day?

Diego: I expect to knock him out! [laughs] what else?

Pole: The opponent is a good fighter. He comes to “spoil the party”. Diego's job is to stop him. He is much taller and more experienced than Diego. So it will be a tough fight. It will not be an “easy win”. We are leveling up not only with the rounds but also with the opponents. It's all about learning. Diego is “putting his work in”. I teach to move forward. Not to back down. If you back down, you're making a mistake. I don't make mistakes. It's not about being overconfident. I just like to win. I put Diego in the English way of training. When he's in “camp”, he trains twice a day and he's on a diet. He doesn't go out. He doesn't drink. Being a boxer is very unsociable. You work unsociable hours and you don't have time to have a social life.

Q: What are your future plans? If you win this, what will you do after that?

Pole: When the time comes, embrace it, one fight at a time.

Diego: My plan is to keep winning! And if something else happens, I'm open to it. So far I've only fought in Spain. I'm going to England soon… and then to the USA…

Q: Any comments about professional training in Mallorca? Are you happy with the facilities?

Diego: I think Mallorca is a great place to train.

Pole: Mallorca is great. I don't know why more athletes don't take advantage of it. The weather is perfect. Our sport has a lot of problems. We had to fly in people from the mainland to find sparring partners. I bring in a lot of high-level athletes from the UK to train and spar with Diego. I think Mallorca has better sports facilities than the UK. Soon it should work better here.

Diego: In fact, Mallorca has both very good and very bad points: there are all sorts of temptations here, it is a party island and young men get carried away if they are not quite sure what they want. This is quite common.

Q: Is there any government assistance for talented athletes?

Diego: Not much. We are sponsored by private companies such as Sports Direct UK and Everlast, which we have already mentioned. Other sponsors include Fit Club, Mansion, Med54, Bruno restaurant, Ryze and Skyda.

Pole: There is no government support when you go professional. It's a job. Diego's job is being a boxer. He gets paid for it.

Diego: My job is to punch people in the face! [laughs]

Q: Diego, what message would you like to give to kids who look up to you?

Diego: It's a very good sport. I would like to encourage boxing, not only for kids, but for everyone. It is very beneficial not only physically, but also mentally. It helps you build self-confidence and many other things. I don't have much free time, but I am always happy to give advice to kids who want to start this sport. Feel free to talk to me.

Q: That's great! Any final message for our readers?

Pole: Personally, I need people to support Diego. Boxing is a business and the audience is important. Without the support of the masses, Diego will have a hard time achieving his dream. As you go up in weight class, the cost of the fights increases. If things continue as they are, sooner or later the sports centres and arenas will be full and he will be able to pay for the fights he wants to have. The only way to make that happen is to get people to support him. Bulgarian, Spanish, English, whatever. Come to the fight on June 7 and support Diego. He is talented and he will win. It will be an unforgettable night.

Thank you both for your time. Come on! Vamos! Davai!