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Gennady Golovkin set for street fight with David Lemieux

Gennady Golovkin takes David Lemieux in New York on Saturday night
Image: Gennady Golovkin takes David Lemieux in New York on Saturday night

Gennady Golovkin feels his middleweight unification bout against David Lemieux in New York will be "like a street fight".

Golovkin puts his WBA Super and WBC titles up against Lemieux's IBF strap on October 17 at Madison Square Garden, where he will bid to maintain his unbeaten 33-fight record.

The 33-year-old Kazakh has knocked out his past 20 opponents and his 91 per cent knockout percentage is the highest in the history of the middleweight division.

Lemieux has only been beaten twice - both defeats coming in 2011 - and Golovkin feels the pair's aggressive styles will lead to an all-out war.

He has a good style - almost like amateur style. I will beat any style - amateur style or brawl style.
Golovkin on Lemieux

"This is going to be like a street fight," he said. "He has a good style - almost like an amateur style. I will beat any style - amateur style or brawl style. He will be a good test for me.

"Lemieux is a champion and he feels like a champion and this is a unification fight. I think he is ready for a unification fight and he understands the situation. He is smarter now because of his experience in his recent fights.

Canadian David Lemieux  is crowned the IBF world middleweight champion in Montreal, Canada, on June 20, 2015
Image: The heavy-hitting Lemieux provides a sense of danger for Golovkin

"I think this fight is more technical for me, and maybe for him too.

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"It is very interesting for me because right now he is a star. With power alone, he could go maybe three or four rounds with me. If he boxes he could go 12 rounds. Every second is very important - every round - every step."

When asked if his next fight would be against Miguel Cotto, who is ranked second in the world at middleweight, or Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, who is top of the light-middleweight rankings, Golovkin said: "It doesn't matter and I don't think about it. 

"For me? Whoever is number one. I want all of the belts in the middleweight division and I will fight whoever is number one and it doesn't matter who it is. I don't like business. I like old school - who is number one?"

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