HE may have the biggest fight of his life looming on September 15, the Canelo Alvarez rematch, but Gennady Golovkin has been on something of a good will tour. He appeared at the start of the World Cup and took in the latest UFC event.
Speaking to the media there, he mused on Conor McGregor’s foray into boxing, when he fought Floyd Mayweather last year.
“Everybody likes him,” Golovkin said of McGregor. “He’s a very good athlete, he’s a professional athlete. He’s a very good fighter. I remember last fight with Floyd. This guy he goes into boxing, seriously this is difficult for him and he looks good. If Mayweather went into UFC – different story.”
Golovkin’s attention of course is on the upcoming fight with his Mexican rival. “I’m very excited, a lot of people want to watch this second fight. I had good experience from the first fight. Right now I will change my performance a little bit. I know what I need for the second fight. Right now we have a different situation, completely different. Different emotions, different business deal, everything,” he said. “Different respect with him. For him, it’s not good for my side… Different mentality.
“Not respect, we’re both professional athletes. This is fight.”
Golovkin hopes that Alvarez will stand and trade in the rematch. “I believe he’s talked too much [about fighting differently], if he fights like that, it’s good for fans,” he said. “Right now I’m very happy because I have a fight September 15… It’s huge for us.
“First of all this is the biggest fight in boxing. I’m very excited for this fight.”
He himself promises to be more clinical and expects a fair decision from the judges, after their first fight was controversially ruled a draw. “I believe this time more professional. More professional from judges. More professional for us,” he said.
But even Golovkin hinted at an element of doubt. “Nobody knows, this is boxing. Everybody has chance and nobody knows who will win,” he said. “Right now it’s a very interesting and very dangerous question for us.”
