By Jason Kim: WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (46-2-2, 25 KO’s) faces the HBO approved WBO junior middleweight champion Sergeii Dzinziruk (37-0, 23 KO’s) on March 12th at the Foxwoods Resort Casino, in Mashantucket, Connecticut. Dzinziruk, 34, doesn’t have the big power that WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik possessed in his fight with Martinez, but Dzinziruk is a much better fighter in terms of boxing skills and has one of the best jabs in the junior middleweight division.

He’s not undersized either in this match-up, as Dzinziruk stands 6′ and is actually two inches taller than the 5’10” Martinez. However, Martinez has an eight inch reach advantage of Dzinziruk and quite a bit more power. Those areas could be what will ultimately get Martinez the win in this fight unless Dzinziruk’s jab and superb defense are able to keep him out of the way of Martinez’s powerful straight left hand shots. Dzinziruk isn’t impressed with Martinez’s speed and sees him as a clumsy fighter without speed.

Dzinziruk isn’t going to be giving Martinez the same kind of openings that Paul Williams did in his two fights with Martinez, because Dzinziruk is a pure boxer and doesn’t plod forward the same way that Williams does. Dzinziruk is more at home on the outside fighting behind a jab and keeping his head out of the path of incoming shots. Dzinziruk fought remarkably well in wins over Joel Julio, Lukas Konecny and Daniel Dawson. However, Dzinziruk hasn’t been very active in the last three years, as he’s fought only once since November 2008, in a 10th round TKO win over Dawson.