Former WBO super welterweight champion Jaime Munguia (34-0) and Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan (30-3) are three days away from being in the squared circle at the Alamodome, and this bout could have some significance in the middleweight division. Munguia is moving up after defending the WBO super welterweight title five times since July 2018. If he is successful in this bout, it could put him in the position to fight for the middleweight title which is currently held by Demetrius Andrade. O’Sullivan wants to put those plans on hold as he wants to become a factor in the division after unsuccessful attempts earlier in his career against Chris Eubank and David Lemieux. Both fighters completed their workouts in front of the media over the past couple of days and they chimed in on what’s ahead on Saturday.

Munguia showed that he is aware of the background of O’Sullivan. “Gary O’Sullivan comes with a strong desire to win and a strong mentality, which will make for a tougher fight. He’s a high-level fighter with a lot of experience. Fighting against him in my first fight at middleweight is a great opportunity to get a lot of experience.”

“He’s very strong and has a strong right hand, so we have to be careful. He’s a fighter that goes forward and throws punches very fast. He’ll suddenly explode with fast combinations, so we have to make sure we’re aware of that with my guard up.”

There is interest as to how Munguia will do in his first fight at the middleweight division, as many believed that he was looking too big to come down to 154 pounds. As of now, he feels comfortable being at 160.

“The move to middleweight has its benefits because I don’t have to lose as much weight. I feel good at this weight. I feel stronger. The plan is to one day fight for a world title in this division. But right now we are concentrated on the fight we have in front of us.”

As an 11-year veteran, O’Sullivan could show Munguia a few things in the ring that he may not have run into during his career. He has also stopped 63% of his opponents which means that Munguia may have to be aware of his power shots. While O’Sullivan does not hold a grudge against Munguia, he is prepared to leave it all on the line on Saturday.

“I’m ready for war,” O’Sullivan said. “Jaime Munguia is an undefeated champion and he’s also young. He has become a great Mexican warrior and I expect nothing less from him. I truly respect him, and I know he respects me as well. Hopefully we’re going to be able to put on a great fight for the audience on Saturday. I believe I have the ability to beat anybody and always come up with a win. It’s all about your mindset.”

“I come prepared. I’m a hard worker and I’m going to show it off on Saturday night. Whenever I’m fighting, I try to put my heart on it.”

This is a 12-round middleweight fight that will presented by Golden Boy in association with Zanfer Promotions and Murphy’s Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle.” The event will take place Saturday, Jan. 11 at The Alamodome in San Antonio, TX and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Cover photo by Tom Hogan of Hoganphotos