Full Transcript for Sergio Mora, Brandon Figueroa, & All-Access Press Conference Interviews

the other promoters were giving him a slot and undercart. So Eddie Hearn did that. Now he's giving the opportunity to these little giants, 106, 1012, all these p and he started with BAM and everyone else. So yeah, I'm glad that Match Room is doing that and hopefully all other promoters need to catch on. When you think about it even like what we've seen on on this fight card with Charlot dropping out twice, as a fighter coming up through that when you have a last minute replacement, what does that do to a fighter mentally do you think? You know, the fighters won't admit it. they think that it's gonna be business as usual, it's not. Every champion will tell you that a last minute replacement is a terrible thing. Not because you're not ready to fight or prepare to fight or everything's set, only you weren't set for that man. You weren't set for that rhythm, for that style. Even though he's a southpaw, he's not the same Southpaw I was gonna fight. Just like with Mendoza and Collazo. You know, Collazo's a shorter Southpaw than Mendoza was a taller southpaw. So same thing here, I think. there's gonna be a trick. There's gonna it's gonna be tricky to to actually adapt to that and beware the late ri minute replacement. That and the hometown curse are two things that I always tell fighters, beware. My show is called Between the Rounds I come to appreciate what that sixty seconds between rounds actually represents. And it's not just about a reminder of the tactics and the game plan with the coach. It kind of demonstrates so much more than the relationship and the trust that plays out in the relationship or the lack of trust sometimes when you see people not listening in the corner. In your career, what would you say has been the best piece of coaching guidance you got in that sixty seconds that stayed with you after that moment? It's funny because I I j I I criticized my trainer on that, especially in my biggest fights, that he didn't cheerlead me all the way to the end. Cause I don't need an instruction at that moment. I need that Cus" D'Amato you're blowing it, son, you're blowing it. I don't need the ABCs, you need a jab duck here. No, no, no, no. I need the fire in the belly. The fireman speech that Teddy Ellis gave Tim Bradley. So I always criticize my trainer with that. But there's also on the flip side where it's too much cheerleading and not enough instruction. All right, you want me to punch him, you want me to knock him out, you want me to hurt him, go to the body But what do I do to set up that body shot? What are you seeing that I'm not seeing? Exactly. So it's a it's a mix of both. You you need someone to really urge you to do something great, but you also need direction where you need to, you know, you're right there. You only have one minute to encapsulate everything that that you want your fighter to do. So it it's it's a chemistry you need between the trainer and the boxer. It's the right words. also because you can bumble your words next

thing you know you didn't say nothing so the clarity and then also the the how concise it is. You don't wanna you don't wanna ramble too much. Say the words and repeat them. I I think that's how it resonates with the fighter. Yeah. And anything in particular that stood out to you as f as guidance through your career? You know, my trainer talk real low. he always whisper in my ear. It was real romantic in that corner. He never really looked at me in my eyes and gave me the directions like all the other trainers. He would kind of just get to my ear and he didn't want the cameras that were hearing anything. So he always whisper, All right look man, he's trying to set you off with the left hand. So that was him. But you know it worked and it worked out for us. But I mean if if I really wanted I I would want I would want a mix between Ben Davidson and Maybe not Teddy Ellis, he's way too much. Ben Davison and Robert Garcia. Okay, that's a good That's that's those are my perfect pairs. That's awesome. I want to talk a little bit about the mind map that you build out when you're on the podcast with Chris Mannox. Where did that come out? 'Cause you talked about how you've got different diagonals straight across, all of that. Talk me through where does that where did that come from? As a Catholic, did you just bless Did you just bless me? Yeah, I'm a Catholic too, all right. It's the Irish Mexican woman. Well thank for that. how did it come out? All right, so I've been working with Chris Mannix for about eight years, and I noticed that, you know, he had he's been working on his podcast, boxing with Chris Mannix for about a decade, and then he used me as a guest, and then he used me again as a guest. By the third time I started telling him No, no, no, you gotta start paying me for these appearances, right? And then the fourth and then the fifth. And then I put my foot down. I said, This will be the last time I am coming on this podcast unless you pay me. And I dropped the mic and he and he basically called my bluff. He didn't use me for about a month and a half. Then he came calling and texting. I go, Nope. All right, I got you some money. It's not gonna be a lot. I don't care. You just need to pay me, Cheescape. So then here we are, eight years later, or whatever it is, eight years later, and now we got signed by the zone and we got sponsors and we just got a multi-year deal. So the podcast is just as exciting for me because it's a new generation, like your generation is probably podcast listeners. I don't listen to podcasts. Really? I don't listen to them. I don't even go to, yeah. I don't yeah. So this new generation, I don't know if it was a pandemic or you guys like You guys listen to people talk and that's how you educate yourselves and and for me I still listen to you know old hip hop. I still listen to Tupac and Biggie. Forget a forget a podcast. Well maybe you and Chris could start off something on the side But I'll tell you what, I'm gonna be listening to Between the Ropes. No, between the rounds. Between the rounds, Viva Ireland. I love that. I love that. what what do you decide on with Chris because there's obviously a bit of back and forth a lot. When do you pick your battles and what do you decide on picking your battles with them? Well look Chris Mannix is a great debater. He should have been a lawyer. So I know not to pick too many battles with him because he would wordsmith me to death. You know and and he's he's really good at remembering names and and and I'm not good at remembering names. But he just messed up Urman Hadrabayas. How many times did he say it differently? Like three like for three different Three weeks he's been telling me how much I'm gonna butcher it and then he goes up there and butchers it. So ha ha, Chris Mannix. But so he's great at a lot of things, but then he's also a smart ass. He's also one of these guys that never got in the ring and trying to tell a fighter. I've seen him box though. he's terrible. But he wants to Fighters how to box and forget about it. What are you excited about for Saturday night or who you most excited for on Saturday night? I think Kameda. I Kameda Figaro is gonna be the fight of the night. It's gonna be interesting how how gets really on the inside of that long reach. It's gonna be a short night, I think. I think as a MMA fighter, as a guy with no amateur experience, and to go up against the towering inferno like that, it's stacked against them. All right, let's just say it like that. But I think the fight of the night's Figueroa, it's it's action guaranteed. But yeah, you know, top to bottom. Rosanda's gonna be surprising as well. Would you like to see a rematch with Nick Ball and Figueroa? you know, once once a fighter's gone through a tough fight like Nick Ball, they don't want to go back there, especially when you have a monster around the corner. So if he wins this in impressive fashion, he's not gonna look Nick Ball's way. So Nick Ball needs to start knocking out some guys and And be the wrecking ball he was, you know, and get the attention of everybody. Yeah. 'Cause, you know, we were looking at him. You know, the Yankees were looking at him like, hey, you gotta watch out for this five foot four, you know, wreck wrecking ball. 'Cause the next one would be Bruce Carrington. Is that what we're thinking for I hope so. You're right. I hope so, because that'll be a championship fight. Carrington is not a puncher. He's gonna have to, you know, do more than just be a boxer strictly on the back foot. He's gonna have to get the respect of Nick Ball. I love that fight. even Brandon Figueroa against Bruce Carrington, right? I hope so. I'm not a matchmaker, but I'm here to see. I'm thinking about just bringing bringing the two the the belts back together. Sergio Mora, thank you for your time. I had a good time. you won't be back to Ir Ireland at all 'cause there will never be another Katie Taylor. No, there'll never be another

Katie Taylor. But you know what? I I I'm an adopted Irishman. And you work for Dzone and let me tell you there's some great fights in the UK and Ireland. I'm going back. The Guinness is calling me calling me back. Love it. Sergio, thank you. DJI 20261015154446 0049 D: I am joined by Marco Romero who is making a big statement fight on Saturday night. How you feeling? I'm feeling ready. just can't wait for Saturday night to come. Now you did some sparring up in Canada, is there up in Montreal? What was that experience like? It was an amazing experience, you know. I sparred two world champions back to back and also Glaciers and Christian Mbili you know Iglesia just fought, he you know defended his title and then Mimbili got a big fight with with Canelo so it was great to help him prepare for that and you know it's great experience for me. you're a huge fan obviously of Canelo, but you were in doing a couple of rounds with his big opponent coming up. what did you kinda learn from that experience that you're gonna take with you on Saturday night? No, I'm I just think Mimbili's combination punching is it's what makes him super dangerous and I think I definitely took part of that for sure. And he's definitely more crafty than what people think. People think he's an easy target, easy to hit, but no, he has skills. He has skills and like like I was mentioning, he's gonna have a war with Canelo on October thirty first. It's gonna be exciting for sure. you've had quite a decorated amateur career, right? And you decided to make that move into the pros. talk me through what that transition was like. given your general style and how successful you were as an amateur, No, it was I think being in the amateurs and being a decorated you know, pretty good decorated amateur, I think it transitioned well into the pros. It gave me that experience, you know, just fighting for many, many years already. It gave me that great transition into the pros and I think it just works out, works out for my style and I think I've been putting on amazing performances with that experience that I've gained for sure. Hundred percent. what can we expect from you on Saturday night? No, a great another great dominant performance. at the Waron never has a a boring fight, it's always exciting and it's always fireworks for sure. And you just signed with PBC in July, that's right. what drove the decision around that and what changed in terms of camp support from July? No, I think we signed with PBC we saw that you know they had the most belief in me, the most interest in me. And you know, I think we just working that much harder, you know, just to deliver these exciting fights and I think I'm that's what I'm doing and Saturday night it was gonna be another one for sure. who's on your wish list? Who would you like? Obviously you're kind of you're still in the I would say the prospect stage, right? but you're showing signs of something that to come pretty quickly. who would be the immediate and

then kind of the bigger goal? So start with the immediates. right now I think if I had on my lookout, I'm gonna be campaign at one sixty, so I would say Vito Mielnicki you know, you know, nothing but respect to these guys about Vito Mielnicki then maybe eventually a Virgil Ortiz, I heard he's coming up to one sixty, so that would be an amazing fight. I think both our styles, you know, are really work really well with each other. So It just it's just a you know a matter of, you know, getting there and then getting these fights designed for sure. Absolutely. What would you say has been the best piece of coaching guidance you've gotten in those sixty seconds that stayed with you after that moment? I think honestly This happened in my amateur career. Early in my amateur career, it was my first or second national title. And I was in the championship rounds and the in the championship round. I was losing the fight. And, you know, I got that talk from my dad, you know, like, if this is what you want, you're gonna leave it all like this. you're basically quitting on the fight. Basically just told me to, you know, step it up, lock in, and I came out and I actually stopped him in that third round and I won my championship, my championship fight and got another national title. So I think having my dad in my corner and you know just those motivating words is what is probably the best I've ever gotten for sure. I love that and I love that it came from the amateurs and it stayed with you, right? 'Cause I'm sure that that voice still lingers in your mind quite a bit. Yeah, you can't it's I think what I learned from that is that you know no matter how hard things get, this is inside boxing and outside, no matter how things how get, you know, you just gotta persevere and continue, keep pushing forward. Absolutely, and that's what you're gonna do Saturday night, the very best of skills we would say. And we'll we'll keep an eye out for you in the future. Thank you, appreciate it, and tune in October seventeenth and you guys don't want to miss it for sure. Absolutely. I appreciate it, thank you. DJI 20261015165135 0050 D: this is your first time defending a belt you won in someone else's hometown. What does it feel like to be on this side of the pond doing what you're about to do on Saturday night? It feels great, you know I'm here in front of all my family, friends. Vegas is like a second home to me. I trained here for years, trained here. So I'm very familiar and I'm just very excited. Can't wait go out there and and let my hands go and give you guys a show. you've talked about moving in with Manny Robles. What's been the biggest transition and the biggest change in terms of your style Just the knowledge I've gained with him, he has so much experience. he definitely developed my game, not really change anything but add to it and he made me a more dangerous heartbreaker. You stopped Ball in the twelfth round and it was a beautiful lead hook that you delivered. It was absolutely phenomenal. What did Manny say to you Going into that round twelve that made you know that you could go for that that knockout. He said go for it, how bad do you want it, kid? And I I'm gonna be bad, it's all right then show me and literally as soon as the bell rang I went at him and I got him out of there. Amazing stuff. Well best of luck on Saturday night. Thank you. DJI 20261015165602 0051 D: MMA into boxing? Wow, everything. Even my muscles were sore the next day, the first day I t I did boxing. So everything, I was surprised that everything works different. So transition is mentally, physically, tactical, body-wise, so it was it was a lot, a lot, and which it takes years, years to become a real, real boxer. Which I worked hard, we work every day, non-stop. When I say non-stop, it's not that I change boxing, I say, okay, today MMA, today tomorrow boxing. No, just boxing. I already forgot about MMA. When I locked in on something I really loved hundred percent. What was the biggest thing that you had to unlearn about MMA? when you're starting out it starts to come up a little bit. What was kind of the one thing that you've defaulted into out of just habit? I mean the aggression I had MMA, they I carried that with boxing so that also they've been helping me a lot, like not giving up, being strong mentally, you know. Because MMA makes you tough as a fighter as well, you know. What would you say you appreciate most about boxing now that it's the single modality that you're focused on? Yeah, because boxing it takes a lot. It you really gotta have I'm not gonna say it like to do this kind of boxing because it's dangerous. First of all it's very dangerous and you're very isolated. If you don't know how to go through this isolate, you're over, you're done. So in MMA you grab a leg, you rest, but in boxing you cannot even breathe. I would have thought the other way just given all the modalities that are there, but no. Trust me, I tried both. Trust What would you say has been the best piece of coaching guidance that you've gotten between rounds that stayed with you? Well, gonna say time with my coach. He's wasn't one the reason that I'm starting boxing. So everything you said Everything he the plan he has, I just listened to it. That's why we came all the way here together. I wanna say hi to my coach, Dinato Di Martis. I I'm where is he? There's a lot of people here. Yeah, there's a lot, I can see him for now. But he was the one that put me into boxing, believe it was a boxing course taking an MMA guy. Who wouldn't do that? Nobody. Nobody watched me at that time. So it was the only one for me like if you ask me three years ago they will tell, this guy comes from MA but now they say this guy has a lot of experience with boxing so where can people find you on socials? You only have to click the Albanian sniper. Thank you so much, I appreciate your time.