By Miguel Rivera
Former world champion Jessie Vargas is planning for a tough camp under the supervision of Dewey Cooper and Erik Morales. Vargas will return on March 5 at the DC Armory in Washington DC against undefeated welterweight contender Sadam Ali.
Vargas (26-1, 9 KOs) vs. (22-0, 13 KOs) will be part of an HBO televised card with Cuban heavyweight Luis Ortiz fighting in the main event against Alexander Dimitrenko.
"This is a good opportunity. It's a fight that's going to be on HBO and that makes me feel good. I'm going to give them a great fight, and not only that I will come out with a good win. It's going to be a new challenge for me in Washington DC and I will enjoy it," Vargas told ESPN Deportes.
Vargas is feels that his record and level of opposition is much better than that of Ali.
"He is a good fighter. I do not think that he's faced opponents on my level. I'm going to teach him what it's like to fight someone like me. I have more experience and I know that I will win," Vargas said.
Vargas says Cooper is now training him full-time with Morales monitoring the action. Morales trained Vargas for his tough fight with Timothy Bradley last June.
"Erik Morales will be coming to the camp, but Cooper is full-time. I had not worked with him but I know very well because he was always in the same gym with me for eight years. He knows of my style, what I can do. Morales will be monitoring, but it is Cooper who will train me. He knows everything about me, I think it is a good decision because he knows what style should work. He was a boxer, he also did kickboxing. He is a young coach who already has good experience," Vargas said.
