JESSIE VARGAS plans to win the vacant WBO world welterweight title by making Sadam Ali ‘quit’ during their fight on March 5.
Tim Bradley vacated the title due to an inability to face mandatory challenger Ali, as he is fighting Manny Pacquiao in April.
Vargas, who was outpointed by Bradley last year, insists he is highly motivated for his clash with Ali and has no intention of going the distance.
“I’m planning on making Sadam Ali quit. That’s my goal, and I plan to achieve it,” he said.
“I’m not going to stop pushing from beginning to end. I’ve conditioned myself. I’ve prepared myself for that fight to come in busy basically and not leave it up to the judges. Just win a clear, decisive fight.
“I’m coming back with rage into this fight. I have that fire that I just want to destroy any opponent that’s in front of me, not wait until the last round or not let any second, any minute of the fight just go.”
Vargas, a former super-lightweight world champion, also feels the 27-year-old Ali does not have the top-level experience to prevail.
“He’s not on my level. And I’m here to show this on fight day,” he said.
“He doesn’t have the experience I have. I’ve been in there with world-class fighters in the beginning of my career.
“He’s never had to really dig deep. He hasn’t been in those wars. And it’s something that he has inside that he’s going to — something that he hasn’t experienced, he will experience in this fight.”
Ali represented the USA at the 2008 Olympics and was a standout amateur, meaning his progression in the paid ranks has been closely monitored.
A ninth-round stoppage win over Luis Abregu in November remains his biggest win, but he laughed off Vargas’ prediction as he aims to win his first world title.
“This may p*** him off, but it makes me laugh,” he said.
“He’s really confident. That’s good. That’s the way a fighter should be. But make me quit, that is not an option for me.
“We both are great fighters, but he has 26 fights. I have 22. So he had more fights than me. He had more opportunities. As for me, my resumé is going to get better and better. That’s the way I look at it. I’m not comparing myself to him or to who he fought. I know who I am. I know what I can do. And March 5th I’m going to show it.”
