Jaime Munguia Warns Opponent Erik Bazinyan: ‘I’m Entering My Prime’
Super-middleweight contender Jaime Munguia has warned upcoming opponent Erik Bazinyan that he is entering his prime ahead of their fight later this month.
Munguia (43-1-0 34 KO) returns to the ring against Bazinyan (32-0-1 23 KO) at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona on September 20 in his first fight since taking his only defeat to then-undisputed champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in May.
The 27-year-old from Tijuana gave a good account of himself against Canelo after getting dropped in the fourth round, although there was a difference in level between them as the champion secured a fairly comfortable unanimous points victory.
Back in the ring in two weeks, Munguia will seek a return to winning ways but faces a tough and unbeaten opponent in Bazinyan, who is also a top-ranked contender at 168lbs. However, Munguia carries plenty of confidence and insists he’s only getting better.
“I believe I’m entering my prime,” he said. “There’s still much to learn and many things to improve. But I feel like I’m entering a great time in my career.”
Munguia has fought once before in Arizona, earlier this year when he stopped John Ryder in the ninth round of their January bout in Phoenix to send the British veteran into retirement.
“I’m very excited to return to Arizona,” Munguia said. “When I fought there in January, the people gave me a warm welcome. We had a full house in Phoenix. So, I’m excited to go back.”
It is viewed as a critical bout for both fighters, with the winner bolstering their claims for a world title shot, while the loser will face an arduous slog to get back in contention of a stacked super-middleweight division.
It is therefore no surprise that Munguia, who is being touted for a showdown with rising star Diego Pacheco, is not taking Bazinyan lightly and is aware of the Armenia-born Canadian’s strengths.
“Erik Bazinyan is a good fighter,” he said. “He’s undefeated. He switches stances. We need to be careful with that. He’s taller and has a longer reach than me. He has a good jab. He can punch well on the inside. He’s a fighter who comes with all the desire to excel.”
Munguia has fought at three weights during his career, starting out as a super-welterweight before making the move to middleweight. However, it’s at super-middleweight where he says he feels the most comfortable and he has big ambitions for himself in the division.
“I feel good at 168 pounds,” he said. “I have adjusted very well. I feel very good making weight, and I have no problem. Making 160 and 154 took a lot of work for me. Right now, I’m doing well. The goal right now is to become world champion again but at 168 pounds.”
The show, which will be broadcast on ESPN+, will have an undercard that features welterweight prospect Art Barrera Jr against Jose Belloso, a super-featherweight bout between DJ Zamora and a yet-to-be-confirmed opponent, super-flyweight prospect Steven Navarro take on Oscar Arroyo, and unbeaten super-bantamweight Sebastian Hernandez against former interim champion Yonfrez Parejo.
