On January 20th on Showtime, Polish heavyweight contender Adam Kownacki will collide with Iago Kiladze of Kiev, Ukraine in a ten round bout at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The fight will be part of the undercard for the welterweight championship main event between IBF champion Errol Spence Jr. and two-division champion Lamont Peterson. Also on the card, IBF lightweight world champion Robert Easter will defend his belt against former world champion Javier Fortuna in the co-main.
For Kownacki (16-0, 13 KOs), the bout will be his first since his impressive destruction of countryman and former world title challenger Artur Szpilka from back in July, also at Barclays.
Now he meets Kiladze (26-1, 18 KOs), who won six in a row since getting knocked out by Youri Kalenga back in 2013.
Kiladze moved up to the heavyweight division back in February and won his last two fights by knockout at the weight.
He views the contest as yet another step at achieving his ultimate goal - to become a world champion - which is why he really scouted his upcoming opponent from top to bottom.
"This fight is going to be another step toward becoming a champion. I know I'm going to have to work very hard and prove that I'm continuing to build on my win against Szpilka. From the video I've seen on Iago Kiladze, he moves a lot, so I'll be needing to cut off the ring. Whatever he brings to the ring, I'll have an answer for," Kownacki said.
"Three years in a row now I've been fighting in January. I love starting off the year strong. My wife and I actually started a tradition of the 'Kownacki Family Run' at midnight on New Year's Eve. Since I'm always preparing for a fight around New Year's, we figured we might as well have fun while we work. So, we'll have some friends come out and run a few miles with us around the neighborhood during the fireworks. It's fun and helps get me ready.
"Ultimately, I'm looking to become the best in the heavyweight division. The end goal for this year is to become a world champion. But the very first step is taking Iago Kiladze very seriously. I can't look past January 20 right now. I have a tough opponent who will challenge and make me a better fighter in the long run."