Pirog: Sergio Martinez Very Predictable, I Can Beat Him

By Ruslan Chikov

WBO middleweight champion Dmitry Pirog (19-0, 15KOs) is ready to unify with WBC Diamond king Sergio Martinez (48-2-2, 27KOs). To push the issue, Pirog flew from Russia to Atlantic City to watch Martinez defend his title against Darren Barker last Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall. Pirog is very familiar with Martinez's style and expects a big victory if the two every meet in the ring.

"Martinez did not surprise me [against Barker]. He acted exactly according to the plan that I had in mind. Meanwhile, I'll admit that at my weight Martinez is one of the best boxers in the world and this fight won't be easy for me. I know [his style] very well, it's a European boxing [style], and I know it 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," Pirog told Kuban Sport.