FILE — Duke Micah of Ghana works out at at Gleason’s Gym on December 04, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines — Duke Micah is not planning on wasting a chance of a lifetime that came unexpectedly.
Micah is set to challenge John Riel Casimero for the WBO bantamweight belt on Sept. 26 in Connecticut, a fight that wasn’t originally part of the Filipino champion’s schedule.
But nonetheless, Micah wants to make the most out of the opportunity.
“This is my dream. This is what I have been looking for. This is what I’m fighting for,” Micah said during the virtual kickoff press conference posted on YouTube channel Fight Hub TV.
The undefeated Ghanian said he’s been preparing well for his first world title shot and is wary of Casimero’s abilities.
“Training [has been] fantastic. We’ve been training very well for this fight. We know Casimero is a very good boxer.”
Casimero (29-4, 20 KOs) was supposed to fight unbeaten Japanese champion Naoya Inoue last April in Las Vegas before the unification bout got postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 30-year-old Casimero, who has been holed up in the US since February, waited for Inoue fight to be rescheduled but it never did, prompting his camp to look for a different opponent.
“I know my opponent is a good fighter. He’s undefeated,” Casimero said.
Micah, who turns 29 this month, may not be on the same level as Inoue but the London Olympian has an impressive record to show with 19 of his 24 wins coming by knockout.
“You have to fight the best to be the best. I’m bringing the title back to Ghana.”