FightHype.com

MIGUEL FLORES: "IN A YEAR OR SO, I'LL BE READY FOR A WORLD TITLE OPPORTUNITY"

By Percy Crawford | November 25, 2015
MIGUEL FLORES:

"Some guys get stage fright when they get on TV and I showed the world that I can compete with the top featherweights. I'm ready. I'm not going to say I could fight for a world title right now, but in a year or so, I'll be ready for a world title opportunity. But for now, I just gotta keep working," stated fast-rising featherweight Miguel Flores, who talked about his latest victory, his future plans, and much more. Check it out!

PC: In our pre-fight interview, you said you weren't a big puncher, but you were a great body puncher. You proved that to be true with your 2nd round knockout from a body punch. How do you feel about your performance?

MF: Ah man, it was a great performance. It was an early night for me. We got the early KO and I'll take that any day. I expected much more from my opponent. We were in great shape, but that body shot landed just perfect. It did the job and he didn't get up.

PC: Why are you so confident in your ability to hurt and stop people to the body even though admittedly you feel you're not a big puncher? Is that something you just work on a lot?

MF: I guess you would say it's natural because I don't work on it a lot. At the gym, we try to mix it up; body-head. It just comes natural. That body shot that I dropped him with is something I just threw it out of nowhere. And that's a good thing when you don't force things to happen and it comes natural. But like you said, I'm confident in my body work. But I can't get too comfortable doing that because opponents are going to start knowing that I go to the body well. They are going to start covering up, so we got a lot of work to do, man. We can't just concentrate on the body. We gotta mix up our combinations.

PC: How do you feel you were performing before the stoppage?

MF: I felt great. After the 1st round, I was thinking to myself, "Is this guy setting me up for something big?" I was telling my corner how easily I was hitting him and they told me not to get lazy and don't fall asleep on him because he was trying to measure me and come with something big. But the 2nd round went the same. It was a short night. We hit him with the perfect body shot and he didn't get up.

PC: How did it feel to have that type of performance on that stage?

MF: It's a great feeling, especially being on Fox Sports 1. I know a lot of people were watching and making sure what I had. They wanted to make sure I was a true fighter. Some guys get stage fright when they get on TV and I showed the world that I can compete with the top featherweights. I'm ready. I'm not going to say I could fight for a world title right now, but in a year or so, I'll be ready for a world title opportunity. But for now, I just gotta keep working.

PC: Are you back in the gym and are you still looking to come back next year, or because of the length of the fight, are you looking to get one more in to close out the year?

MF: I took this week off. I'm not going to lie and be like I'm right back in the gym. My body needs rest. Sometimes the training camp is actually harder than the actual fight, like it was in this case. I may shake out a few days next week and take it easy. I was hoping to get on a card in December, but I talked to my manager, Luis DeCubas Jr., and he said that we are probably going to sit out the year and try to go again in January or February.

PC: Is it tough to only do maintenance work knowing you're not going until next year?

MF: It's mainly maintenance work, but it's hard, man. You go in there watching guys work in the gym and spar and you're just on the outside looking. That's hard. So I'm going to have to beg my trainer to let me get in there and spar a few times. It's hard watching everybody spar and not you, but I have a few teammates about to fight and hopefully I could give them some help like they gave me before my last fight.

PC: How would you grade out your year?

MF: It was a great year, man. I thought I would never be able to say I had a busy year, but thank God I had a very busy year. I had 4 big wins against great opponents. I had 2 knockouts and 2 decisions, and in the decisions, I went some rounds with some veterans, and of course the 2 knockout wins were great. So I had a great year and I wouldn't have had it any other way, man.

PC: When you look at the landscape of the featherweight division, what do you think of it?

MF: I think it's full of talent. You have Gary Russell, Lomachenko, we saw what he was able to do a few weeks ago, and you have guys like Rigondeaux willing to come up and Leo Santa Cruz. It's one of the hottest divisions in boxing and I'm on the lookout. I'm looking at these guys and seeing what they have and, like I said, I may not be ready for them now. I'm young, 23, but in a year or so, I'm sure I could give them some work. Hopefully we get ourself ranked to be able to fight for one of them world titles.

PC: Do you have any short term goals or is it one fight at a time and one day at a time?

MF: That's exactly how I take it, one fight at a time. I don't want to get too ahead of myself. People ask me who am I looking at? I'm not going to call anyone out. I listen to my people, PBC and my management, and I let them figure it all out. For now, our short term goal is going to be just stay in the winning bracket and that's what we're going to do.

PC: I really enjoyed your fight. You did exactly what you said you would and I look forward to seeing you back in there next year. Is there anything you want to add before I let you go?

MF: Thank everybody. I hope everyone enjoyed that early knockout. I want to thank my mom and my family for always being there and my girlfriend, who is always there for me. Be on the lookout, we are coming in 2016!



[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]

MARCH 18, 2024
MARCH 17, 2024
MARCH 14, 2024
MARCH 12, 2024
MARCH 11, 2024
MARCH 07, 2024
MARCH 04, 2024
FEBRUARY 29, 2024
FEBRUARY 27, 2024
FEBRUARY 22, 2024
FEBRUARY 19, 2024
FEBRUARY 15, 2024
FEBRUARY 12, 2024
FEBRUARY 08, 2024
FEBRUARY 05, 2024
FEBRUARY 01, 2024
JANUARY 31, 2024
JANUARY 30, 2024
JANUARY 29, 2024
JANUARY 25, 2024
JANUARY 22, 2024
JANUARY 18, 2024
JANUARY 15, 2024
JANUARY 12, 2024
JANUARY 11, 2024
JANUARY 08, 2024
JANUARY 04, 2024
JANUARY 01, 2024