Mumbai: Boxer Vijender Singh is in no hurry to go for bigger fights and aim at the world title. The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist is preparing to take on Chinese boxer Zulpikar Maimaitali for a double title fight at Mumbai’s NSCI Dome on August 5.
The winner will emerge the ‘King of Asia’ as WBO Asia Pacific super middleweight champion Vijender will take on China’s no.1 boxer and WBO Oriental super middleweight champion Maimaitali.
“I will go step by step. I am in no hurry. My main aim at the moment is to ensure I have an easy win in this fight,” said a calm Vijender who seems unperturbed by British boxer and two-time world champion Amir Khan’s suggestions to go for major titles.
Vijender’s last fight was against former world no. 1 Francis Cheka from Tanzania last December, when he defended the WBO title first earned in July 2016 against Kerry Hope of Australia. Vijender isn’t worried that he will be fighting after a long gap either.
“It is part of the game. Sometimes you get to fight back to back and sometimes you don’t fight for 7-8 months. That’s it, such things happen,” he said.
Vijender doesn’t feel he will have toughest of tasks against Maimaitali, who has already started mind games with verbal punches. “Time will decide,” he said.
Considering his opponent is from China, did he feel it would add zing to the fight given the present equation between the two countries? “He is just a boxer. I don’t think (his nationality) will affect anything. I think it is all about sport,” he said.
The Bhiwani boxer was set to face the same opponent in April but Maimaitali didn’t agree to fight at that time, prolonging Vijender’s return to the ring since December. “He had some sort of injury. Now he is back in training and said he could fight, so we said ok to him.”
The 31-year-old is currently training under Manchester based coach Lee Beard.
“We are into very hard training for this fight. We are working on technique as he is a southpaw and I am orthodox,” he said from Manchester.
