Xander Zayas expects Damian Sosa to bring the action, while Sosa predicts excitement

Xander Zayas is preparing for an aggressive approach from Damian Sosa this Friday night. Sosa, meanwhile, says there’s more to his game than that.

“I feel like he’s going to come in and be a Mexican warrior. I’m expecting the best Damian Sosa ever. He has prepared for this fight like he never has before in his life,” Zayas said Wednesday at the final press conference ahead of their fight, which will be on the undercard of Sandy Ryan vs. Mikaela Mayer at the Madison Square Garden Theater. Their fight will air on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+, with the broadcast beginning at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time (3:30 a.m. BST). 

“He’s coming to fight. He’s going to throw a lot of punches and put a lot of pressure on me. But I’m ready for that,” Zayas said.

Zayas is a junior middleweight prospect originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and now living in Sunrise, Florida. He signed with Top Rank at 16, turned pro a bit after his 17th birthday and now, at the age of 22, is 19-0 (12 KOs). In June, he won a wide decision over Patrick Teixeira.

Sosa, a 27-year-old from Tijuana, Mexico, is 25-2 (12 KOs). He lost a unanimous decision to the 31-14-4 Ivan Alvarez in April 2023 but has won three in a row since, including a split decision in April over previously unbeaten Marques Valle.

“The fight with Xander had been in the works for a little while. It had been mentioned to me before, but because of a loss I had, this fight was delayed a bit,” Sosa said. “But now […] the opportunity has come up again. And now that I’m training with Robert Garcia, it couldn’t have come at a better time in my career.”

Having the backing of trainers like Garcia has helped Sosa become a more well-rounded fighter, he said.

“I’m a Mexican fighter, and I think that’s how I started my career — being a fighter who throws lots of punches. But thank God I’ve had the opportunity to work with very good trainers who have helped me improve,” Sosa said.

“Xander knows how to adapt. I also know how to adapt, and I think that will make this fight very exciting. I’m still progressing and I’m still trying to improve my conditioning, my technique, and my strategy. Boxing isn’t just a sport where you go out and throw punches, and that’s something I’ve gradually understood.”

David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2 and @UnitedBoxingPod. He is the co-host of the United Boxing Podcast. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is a