Erislandy Lara may be heading into a fight as a challenger instead of the champion, but he still believes to be the top boxer in the junior middleweight division.
During a recent media workout before his fight against WBA "Regular" junior middleweight champion Brian Castano, Lara spoke on his undefeated opponent, saying that he will take Castano's unbeaten record on March 2.
I have a young strong opponent that we've prepared for. He's a world champion and I'm ready for the challenge. Saturday, it'll be my time to take his belt. Castano is undefeated but he hasn't fought anyone yet. He's definitely never fought anyone close to my level. After Saturday night, he won't be undefeated any more," Lara said.
It's been a little more than 10 months since Lara last fought which was a split decision loss to Jarrett Hurd last spring. That bout was a "Fight of the Year" contender and he expects his fight against Castano to be another exciting matchup.
"I've worked hard and done what I had to in training to be at my best Saturday. I like to fight an aggressive fighter and I think our styles will mesh on Saturday and give everyone a great fight," Lara said.
The fight between Lara and Castano will headline a "Showtime Championship Boxing" card from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The card will also feature a featherweight bout for the WBA Gold title as well as heavyweight action featuring Luis Ortiz. A three-fight undercard will be streamed online and can be seen here on Fightful.com.