Undefeated mandatory challenger Ermal Hadribeaj will step into the ring looking to become Albania’s first boxing world champion and fulfill his lifelong dream when he battles WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora headlining the latest installment of “The Fight” live on TNT and DAZN on Saturday, October 17 from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
“I’m very very very motivated to become Albania’s first world champion boxer,” said Hadribeaj. “Since I was young, I’ve always wanted to be a champion, no matter what sport I ended up choosing. Now I have this opportunity in boxing and it’s an opportunity that I’ve been thinking of all my life. This means so much to me.”
The 32-year-old Hadribeaj live and trains in Miami under the guidance of his trainer Donato Demartiis. The pair originally met in 2018 when Hadribeaj was primarily competing in MMA, before Demartiis decided to have his prospective pupil try his hand in the boxing ring. From that day on, the two have stayed in the gym and brought each other to the precipice of world championship glory.
“Donato told me to just give boxing a try and put me in to spar a boxer and he saw me beating the guy up,” said Hadribeaj. “Donato saw something in me and came up with a plan for me in this sport. I trusted his words and I committed myself 100% to boxing. I’ve given everything to make this happen because he trusted me since day one. With each fight we were improving. I was giving everything to win. We kept pushing and made sure that we never gave up.”
As he prepares for the biggest bout of his life, Hadribeaj has believes that his success in training camp, and specifically in sparring with Mykal Fox and Ollie Cooper, has helped prepare him for the unique challenge that is Fundora.
“Training camp is like a test for the fight,” said Hadribeaj. If you pass the test at training camp, you’re ready for the fight. My sparring partners Mykal Fox and Ollie Cooper have been so supportive for my camp. They’ve been going twelve rounds with me multiple times a week. Ollie brings the pressure and Mykal is more crafty. So it was a great mix for me that helped me a lot.
“Sparring has been the key to prepare for Fundora’s length. We worked on a lot of different scenarios, like moving around the ring and staying out of range of his jab and his crosses and uppercuts. We have to get the distance right.”
Through watching on television and live in-person, Hadribeaj has gained a familiarity with Fundora, and even says he’s been one of his favorite fighters to watch for years. Throughout that time, Hadribeaj revealed that he doubted many of the tactics Fundora’s opponents have used, and explained what he thinks they get wrong about facing “The Towering Inferno”.
“Fundora has been one of my favorite fighters to watch in this division for a while,” said Hadribeaj. “I’ve always thought that he really knows how to fight. But I always ask myself why his opponents choose their strategies and run into his punches. The opponents tend to get too caught up in their ego and try to compete with his height. I feel like they should just have been working on their stuff and not worry as much about what he’s doing. Now I’ll have my shot and I’m gonna do my best.”
Hadribeaj displays an umistakeable air of confidence when he speaks, even when heading into the biggest fight of his career as an underdog. For the unbeaten WBC mandatory challenger, he believes that everything he’s done leading up to this moment will allow him to be at his best when the bell rings.
“I’m confident because I worked to get to this position,” said Hadribeaj. “I’m not just confident for no reason. I earned this position and I earned this confidence. We deserve to be here. I trust my skills, I trust my power and I trust my team. I’m not scared to fight anybody.
“I love the crowd and I love the bright lights. I don’t panic or stress. I try to stay positive all the time. But the most important thing is that my work has been done correctly. If the work is done correctly, then it’s easy for me to stay calm in any position.”
As October 17 nears, Hadribeaj is fully aware of the stage he’s walking onto and is eager to deliver a memorable night on TNT and DAZN.
“Fans are going to see a very unique style and a very exciting fighter,” said Hadribeaj. “You’re going to love this fight. We’re definitely going to make this a war. I know that I’m new to the fans and I can’t wait to show them what I’m all about with my performance.”
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