MARK ‘MAGNIFICO’ MAGSAYO squares off with American Andres Cortes in a lightweight clash under the Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight title fight on September 12 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 31-year-old former World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight champion told the BusinessMirror that he has researched his opponent deep enough to get a win and a possible world title shot and the Zuffa lightweight crown.
‘I am really expecting this to happen after my last victory against Feargal McCrory,’ Magsayo, 29, said. ‘But this fight is so crucial because I really want to have a chance at the Zuffa belt and I and we do not expect this fight to be so easy.’
The Zuffa Boxing belt is a proprietary championship title introduced by Dana White and Turki Alalshikh-it rejects traditional boxing sanctioning bodies in favor of a streamlined, UFC-style promotional hierarchy where champions advance to fight for the Ring Magazine belt.
Cortes packs a 25-0 record with 13 knockouts and relies on great timing and spectacular footwork although he lacks world championship experience unlike Magsayo.
Magsayo-29-2 won-lost with 19 knockouts-has been chasing world titles in the featherweight and super featherweight divisions but found his groove in his lightweight debut that resulted to a fifth-round technical knockout against Ireland’s Feargal McCrory last April 5 in Las Vegas.
International matchmaker Sean Gibbons said Magsayo could be back in the world title picture if Magsayo wins. Josef Ramos
‘Mark Magsayo has impressed Zuffa promotions last fight and gave this opportunity for him. I believe he would continue fighting at his best to get a world title shot again,’ Gibbons said.
Magsayo-trained by Marvin Somodio-and wife Frances established the Magsayo Foundation to provide scholarships for kids both in the US and the Philippines.