Unbeaten light-heavyweight contender Joshua Buatsi insists that victory comes first and impressing second ahead of his crucial clash with Callum Smith.
They fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as part of the Last Crescendo promotion, when Buatsi will prioritise the unbeaten run that extends to 19 fights. While he acknowledged stealing the show would be good, victory would mean most as he jostles for position in a packed 175lbs division.
“Most important, I’ve got to win the fight,” the Londoner told Sky Sports News. “It’s a big card, and one that, when I got the call to be on, I was happy about it, because I’m like, ‘Look, this is the biggest card possibly in history’, and to know that I was part of it it’s an amazing thing, but I don’t want to just participate I want to make sure I win.”
Buatsi has long been linked with a bout against fellow Londoner Anthony Yarde, and he hopes to face the winner of Saturday’s undisputed title fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
But first comes Liverpool veteran Smith, 34.
“It wasn’t someone that was on my radar, but the moment we got the call, we agreed and it was a done deal,” said Buatsi. “There’s not much thinking to do about it, but to go and prepare which we have done and fight week’s upon us now.”
Buatsi is not one for pre-fight fireworks. The 31-year-old former Rio Olympian knows his actions in the ring count louder than anything he can say out of it.
“It’s easy to say all kinds of stuff but we’re not far away,” he said. “Saturday we get to demonstrate and go in there to fight to see who comes out on top. The styles that we’ve got, it’s going to be a very interesting fight.”
Then, asked where he might go next, Buatsi believes he is close to the top of the mountain.
“I feel like we’re closer than ever, so it’s not a time to slip up,” he said.
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