Not short on confidence, Arnold Barboza spoke to the British media this afternoon ahead of his fight against Jack Catterall on Saturday and claimed that he is the best 140-pound fighter in the world.
With no world title to his name, and with the 33-year-old American still to even fight for one, that may seem a stretch at this point. However, Barboza seems sure of it. Not only that, he says he will provide proof on Saturday night in Manchester.
“I just want to fight the best,” he said. “I believe Jack is a really good fighter and at the top of the division me and him are the best. I don’t even think the champions are better than us, to be honest. This is going to be an exciting fight. We’re always up for challenges and we’re ready to go.
“I just believe I’m the best in the division, honestly. I don’t think anybody could f**k with me in this division. I’m just confident in myself. At the end of the day, we can do all the trash talking, but I know he’s not a trash talker and I’m not a trash talker, so there’s no point. Saturday is going to determine everything. At the end of the day, it’s a ring and that’s all that matters.”
All but one of Barboza’s 31 pro fights have taken place in America, and yet his last fight, which saw him go to Riyadh and outpoint Jose Carlos Ramirez, was arguably the finest of his career. As such, he sees no issue fighting Catterall in his own back yard.
“I hope it’s sold out and I hope I’m getting booed, because that’s just going to turn me on, honestly,” said Barboza, 31-0 (11). “This is a dream. It’s a big fight – high risk, high reward – and I’m excited to dance with him.”
Asked if he still believes he will stop Catterall, Barboza said, “I really believe I do. The way camp has gone, the way we isolated ourselves at eight thousand feet elevation, the running in the snow… everything we did, and the way I’ve been feeling in sparring… my sparring partners can attest to it. I feel stronger than ever. I feel better than ever. He’s coming with everything, I’m coming with everything, so let’s go.”