Pirog eyes bout with WBC diamond king Martinez

WBO middleweight champion Dmitry Pirog (19-0, 15KOs) is set to square up to the WBC belt-holder Sergio Martinez (48-2-2, 27KOs) and says he knows how to beat the Argentinian.

To push the issue, Pirog arrived in Atlantic City to watch Martinez defend his title against Darren Barker last Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall.

On his return to Russia, the 31-year-old spoke to Kuban Sport about the bout. He stressed he is well aware of Martinez’s style and expects a big victory if the two ever meet in the ring.

“Martinez did not surprise me. He acted exactly according to the plan that I had in mind. But I’ll admit that in my weight Martinez is one of the best boxers in the world and this fight won’t be easy for me,” Pirog noted.

“I know his style very well. Therefore, I will not be surprised by the tricks that he usually uses. These techniques are familiar to me from European boxing. For me it’s not a problem. Martinez always uses the same tactics, so he becomes very predictable,” he added.

In September, Pirog successfully defended his WBO middleweight crown, stopping fellow Russian Gennady Martirosyan in the 10th round.

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