Middleweight Troy Isley, who claimed victory over amateur rival Javier Martinez on Friday, now has his sights set on titleholders, particularly Janibek Alimkhanuly, the unified middleweight champion. Isley has set a target of “two or three” more fights to set up a potential bout with Alimkhanuly.
Isley secured a 10-round unanimous decision against Martinez at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Friday night.
The 25-year-old Isley (13-0, 5 KOs) now holds a prominent position in the middleweight division – widely regarded as one of its most prestigious. With victories over undefeated fighters Martinez and Vladimir Hernandez, Isley is distinguishing himself among his peers and emerging as a promising title contender following his participation as a 2020 U.S. Olympian.
“Javier is a tall, lanky southpaw, similar to Janibek,” Isley said in a post-fight media scrum Friday. “This was the perfect fight to prepare for him.”
During his training camp, Isley sparred with middleweight titleholder Carlos Adames, who recently defeated Terrell Gausha by unanimous decision. Isley possesses a style that shares certain similarities with Gausha’s, and he also sparred with Adames before his victory over Victor Toney, aiming to gauge his progress.
“After my last fight, they started calling me a contender,” Isley said. “I wanted to challenge myself.”
Reflecting on his bout with Martinez, in which both fighters were penalized for low blows, Isley believes his performance revealed his class.
“Everyone noticed the gap in talent – they saw that I was the superior fighter,” Isley said. “I’m ready to step up and face the champions now.”
It marked Isley’s third fight under the guidance of head coach Brian “BoMac” McIntyre, who also trains Terence Crawford and Keyshawn Davis. Isley believes his move from former coach Kay Koroma to McIntyre has been pivotal in his career progression.
“‘BoMac has been a huge help,” Isley said. “He’s given me confidence and helped eliminate my self-doubt.”
Isley also credited his victory over Vladimir Hernandez and overcoming late challenges in that fight for being instrumental in his growth as a top-tier fighter.
“Following the Vladimir Hernandez fight, those last three rounds were a significant mental battle,” Isley said. “Once I got through that, I knew I had become a much stronger and more complete fighter.”
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