Aiming to "surprise" Vijender Singh in his own backyard, WBO Oriental super middleweight champion Zulpikar Maimaitiali says he is training 10 hours a day to ensure a knockout win for himself. WBO Asia Pacific super middleweight champion Vijender is will face Chinese No.1 Maimaitiali for a double title fight on the August 5 at NSCI, Mumbai.
"I take every bout seriously and try to push myself to the limit every time. Vijender will be one of the rivals that I beat, I know his traits and I am preparing accordingly," Maimaitiali said.
"I am putting in 10 hours every day into training to make sure Vijender is knocked out in the first 2-3 rounds itself.
On 5th August Vijender will actually face the toughest opponent in his pro boxing career," he added.
Maimaitiali said he has worked out his plan to tame the Indian, who is unbeaten since his debut in 2015.
"My team has watched all his bouts. At this phase, maybe only myself and my coach should understand the training schedule that have been implemented. Vijender will be surprised when I throw punches at him, he thinks I am a kid, but he has no idea who I am," he said.
Vijender has seven knockout wins since his pro-boxing debut. Maimaitiali has the same unbeaten record but has lesser knockout wins.
"Both of us have no loss record since pro debut, both of us have a high ratio of KO. As I said, the pressure should be on his side, as it will be too old for him to suffer and recover from a loss, what will be worse is losing from someone as young as me. He is considered the king of boxing in India, so he has started feeling like a king, it's time I get him down onto the ground," he said.
Battleground Asia will also feature Olympic quarter- finalists Akhil Kumar and Jitender Kumar along with WBC Asia welterweight champion Neeraj Goyat, Kuldeep Dhanda, Pardeep Kharera, and Dharmendra Grewal.
