Ishmael Davis is confident of defeating former WBC interim junior middleweight champion Serhii Bohachuk in their co-headlining 12-round Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk 2 fight in Riyadh on Saturday.
Although Davis (13-1, 6 KOs) has only fought and lost to one world-class fighter (Josh Kelly) in his six-year career, he believes he has the boxing skills to defeat Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) by decision. .
That's what he wants. He won't try to knock out Bohachuk, which makes sense because he's not a big hitter and doesn't throw combinations. Davis was brought in on short notice after Bohachuk's previously scheduled opponent, Israil Madrimov, pulled out of the fight due to illness.
Ishmael thinks Bohachuk is not that good of a fighter on the inside and thinks he can outbox him at any distance. He will have to do this because he will cut himself off if he is crawling or if he is stationary.
One Trick Pony?
“I'm in the best shape of my life. He is a good fighter under pressure. I don't think he's the most skilled, but he puts pressure on people. When he gets the respect he wants, people fall apart,” said Ishmael Davis iFL TV about Serhij Bohačuk. “He won't be able to do that with me. I'm ready for a real war.
“I know what this fight is for me. It's a big opportunity. This guy is #6 in the world at world level. When I beat this guy, I don't want the British title. I learned a lesson from the Josh Kelly fight. I wasn't really ready for that fight. I'm ready for this.
“I know I'm going to win on Saturday night. I don't care what anyone says. He is not a better boxer than me and I don't believe he is good enough to beat me. He likes to go inside. I don't think he's all that good on the inside. He's like a one-trick pony. What you see is what you get,” Davis said.
Bohachuk will put a lot of pressure on Davis, trying to turn the fight into an ugly war. Davis says he's ready for war, but we'll see if he's serious.
Davis' game plan
“He's going to target you a lot, and you either make him pay or he makes you pay,” Davis said. “I saw them stop him. I'm not going on a break. I will win, but I can only see myself winning this fight. After I beat Serhii, I'll go for the world, not the UK.
“It's a big challenge because there are killers up there and they have a lot of experience that I haven't got. I like a challenge,” Davis said.
