Oliver Zaren is counting on his chin against Osleys Iglesias tonight in Quebec. The unbeaten challenger told The Ring that sparring with heavier punchers has given him confidence that he can take the IBF super middleweight champion’s power.
Zaren (19-0-1, 8 KOs) has yet to beat a notable opponent, making this a steep jump for his first world title fight. He now faces arguably the most dangerous puncher at 168 pounds, with little in his record to suggest he’s ready.
“My team, we have our concerns on the power he’s coming with, but I’ve sparred some heavy guys who can really punch, and I can take one, so it’s going to be a good fight. I’m not coming just to take part; I’m here to win,” Zaren told The Ring.
Iglesias (15-0, 14 KOs) defends his IBF title for the first time tonight at Capitole de Quebec, headlining an Eye of the Tiger show on DAZN. The Cuban stopped Vladimir Shishkin in the eighth round, then won the vacant belt in April when Pavel Silyagin retired after eight rounds.
Those results make this a difficult jump for Zaren. Taking punches from heavier fighters in sparring can build confidence, but it offers limited evidence of how he will respond when Iglesias lands cleanly with smaller gloves under fight conditions.
The danger also goes beyond surviving one hard shot. If Iglesias hurts him, Zaren will need the defensive skills to prevent the champion from following up.
Zaren, 26, is trained by former unified super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler and believes his June fight with Jose Navarro Jr. showed he was ready for world-level opposition. That European title bout ended in a technical draw after bad weather forced a stoppage following three rounds. Zaren felt he was winning, but he never had to prove he could sustain that success through a full fight.
Without a victory over a leading contender, Zaren is going straight into a title challenge against Iglesias, whose power has been too much for all but one of his opponents. His willingness to accept the opportunity is clear. His record offers much less reason to expect him to win it.