Ruslan Provodnikov wants toe-to-toe battle with John Molina Jr
Friday 10 June 2016 12:14, UK
Ruslan Provodnikov has hailed John Molina as a 'great fighter' and believes his clash with the Californian can be a classic.
Provodnikov (25-4-KO18) - nicknamed the 'Siberian Rocky' - is renowned for his brutal approach to the sport and is keen to provide another thrilling spectacle when he takes on Molina (28-6-KO23) live on Sky Sports 1 on Saturday night.
The Russian said at the final press conference: "I have a lot of respect for Molina and his team. He's a great fighter. These are the types of opponents I like. Most of the fights I've had are fights like this, opponents like this.
"This actually motivates me. I don't have a problem with getting into a fight like this. This is what I'm looking for. This is the type of fight I expect.
"Words are not so much associated with explaining this because anybody can talk and anybody can say words. I think the fans or the people have to see how my fights have been and the way that I've fought those fights.
"For me to say right now that I'm going to 'die in the ring', they're words right now. The fight will show, then the fans will have an understanding in their mind of was I just saying that or is that really the way it is. The actions show, not the words."
Molina, who like Provodnikov has been involved in a Fight of the Year, said: "In the grand scheme of things, the boxer - experts if you will - I don't know how many times they've been in the ring but for what they do in boxing, they seem to have him as the favorite but rightfully so. In a sense it's because of the personality and persona that he's portrayed in past times.
"I don't think too much about the hype. We've prepped for war on Saturday night. We would be doing ourselves a disservice if we didn't prepare right for someone like Ruslan. He's a hell of a fighter, a hell of a competitor and we were both in a Fight of the Year.
"What people don't realize is we were both in Fight of the Year on the losing side and now we're going to be in a Fight of the Year, but both of us going for the winning side. I think the fans are going to be pleasantly surprised. I'm ready. The stage is set to showcase my capabilities Saturday night."
Watch Provodnikov v Molina, Demetrius Andrade v Willie Nelson and Dejan Zlaticnanin v Franklin Mamani on Saturday night; live from 2am on Sky Sports 1.
