Alen Babic sees ‘worry’ in Mark Tibbs’ face

Alen Babic believes that Mark Tibbs is “worried” ahead of Saturday’s fight between he and Johnny Fisher.

Babic and the popular Fisher fight at London’s Copper Box Arena on Saturday evening, on the occasion of what, in the 25-year-old Fisher’s 12th professional contest, represents his biggest test.

According to Tibbs, the heavyweight’s trainer, he identified Babic as the opponent Fisher needed having first got to know him while employing him as a sparring partner for Dillian Whyte in the build-up to Whyte’s victory over Oscar Rivas in 2019, but Babic says that their understanding of each other means that he could see concern in Tibbs’ face when they again came face to face, and largely because of the legacy that exists having seen him share the ring with Whyte.

“I think he’s kind of worried,” said the Croatian, 33. “I see a little bit of a worried face on him – a little bit. That’s the way it should be – that’s the way it should be.

“We see everything when we look at each other. True boxing – a true boxing coach. I know his teachings.

“He saw my first ever sparring with Dillian Whyte. That’s enough said. If he told Fisher about that they would be worried about everything they’re doing. It was five, six, seven years ago. It was a crazy, crazy spar. It was amazing.

“I have plenty of respect [from Mark], and I earned it – I know I earned it. I earned plenty of respect [from him], and from Fisher. I was fighting guys when Fisher was 10 years old – can you imagine? Don’t disrespect me – it’d be wrong to try – and he didn’t.

“[Tibbs is] a big name in boxing – there’s no going around it. He’s a big name in boxing. Big coach; works with champions; knows how things go.

“Johnny’s career’s at a crossroads right now, and I’m the guy that has the steering wheel. It’s very dangerous – very dangerous. I want to derail his career.

“He’s a smart man. He’s intelligent. He chose to stay smart [when we came face to face]. I thought for a second he was going to choose to be a tough guy, so I was waiting for him, but he chose to be the smart man – don’t talk too much; don’t get too much in my face.

“It’s a perfect fight, but it’s a test, and you know with tests, you should go through them – but sometimes you fail, and that’s terrible.”

Babic is working for the second time under the Dublin-based Paschal Collins, having recruited him as his trainer in the aftermath of his only defeat – via first-round stoppage to Poland’s Lukasz Rozanski in the lightly regarded bridgerweight division in April 2023.

There are occasions when Paschal’s brother Steve, the retired world champion, contributes at their gym, but the first time they met Babic didn’t recognise him, and tested Collins’ patience in the same way he once tested Paschal’s when he told Paschal how it was he wanted to be trained.

“I know who he was, of course, but I didn’t know that was him,” said Babic, who while in Dublin lives with Roddy, the third of the Collins brothers, and who identified Paschal’s abilities when defeating his heavyweight Niall Kennedy in 2020. 

“I thought he was a janitor. He was dressed like a janitor. ‘You’re a good man – you know hard work.’ He was fucking looking at me and he says to Paschal, ‘I’m going to chin this guy’ [laughs]. 

“I was like, ‘I know you from somewhere’. He says, ‘I’m Steve Collins’. ‘No – you’re Steve Collins? I’m so sorry.’ I almost died. Of course, I respect Steve Collins. I said to Paschal, at the gym, ‘I want to die’. 

“It’s amazing. For training, it’s amazing, and Paschal’s a very hard man. A bit cold. Hard. Exactly what I need. I don’t need taps on the back. I’ve had that all my life – millions of taps on the back. I have nothing from them. I need a hard [approach].

“It’s beautiful. My life in Dublin consists of gym and home. That’s all I do the whole day – I never go [anywhere]. I’ve seen, maybe, five per cent of Dublin. I just go straight in; straight back; straight in; straight back, since the moment I saw him. 

“Everybody tells me, ‘Why you go there? You beat him already [when defeating Kennedy]’. I was like, ‘I don’t know why I’m going – I have a feeling I should be doing that. I don’t know why’. He talks boxing all day. I’ve got to know him, first-hand.

“Croatia, it was impossible for me to train, because I have a status there and I’m all over the place. Nobody cares about me in Dublin; my coach doesn’t care about me. Nobody cares, so it’s better.”