NO ifs, no buts, Miguel Cotto will finish his career this year. The Puerto Rican legend fights Yoshihiro Kamegai on Saturday (August 26) at the StubHub Center in Carson, California for the WBO super-welterweight title.
After that he expects to have the 47th and final fight of his career in December and Cotto remains adamant that he will then never box again. โThe decision is already made. Iโm leaving on December 31 no matter what happens in my career,โ Cotto said.
He explained, โI think 16 years is enough. I have other things to do in my life. I have to take care of family.โ
โI enjoyed my whole career,โ he continued. โIโm really proud of the kind of career that I had.โ
Cotto however will focus on the task at hand this weekend. โFirst of all I am just thinking about Kamegai and August 26,โ he maintained. โIโm going to do my fight.
โLetโs see what Kamegaiโs going to bring.โ
โIโm always here to do my best, to do whatever it takes to get the victory,โ he added. โIโm coming with the same kind of mind for this fight.โ
He would not be drawn to comment Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor, which happens on the same day as his fight, nor indeed opine on his recent conqueror, Canelo Alvarez and the Mexicanโs upcoming middleweight showdown with Gennady Golovkin. โI have no opinion. Iโm really busy,โ he said stonily. โI have enough things to think about.โ
He also wouldnโt allow himself to look beyond Saturday and speculate on whom a desirable opponent for his final fight might be. โWeโre going to do what we always do. Weโre going to pick the best challenger out there and weโre going to face them,โ he said. โAll I want is to finish my career in the best way possible.โ
Video: HBO