O'Shaquie Foster is on a revenge mission when he fights Robson Conceicao this weekend.
Foster is trying to reclaim the world title he used to hold when he boxes Conceicao for the WBC super-featherweight championship, live on Sky Sports in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Foster lost a split decision to the Brazilian Olympic gold medallist in July, but is adamant that he is the one who deserved that verdict.
"I didn't see where the judges got that decision. But the fight was easy for me. I only saw that I could have been more active and let my hands go in certain situations more," the American said.
"There are a lot of things I can do in that ring. I feel like I could have just put more combinations. I could have done a little bit more. But now I get the opportunity to do it again.
"Not everybody gets that opportunity. A lot of times, people get robbed, and they don't they don't get the rematch. So, I'm fortunate to get that rematch, and I'm looking to let my hands go more."
Foster's stance has angered the new champion. "The criticism of the last fight was tremendously disrespectful, especially because I had already been in two big fights like this before, against Oscar Valdez and Emanuel Navarrete. There were two fights where I could have been the champion and emerged victorious," Conceicao said.
"He should have asserted himself more in the fight as a champion. He ran and avoided the fight the entire time.
"I showed that I deserved the win and should have come out as the champion. I was the one asserting myself the entire time. I was the one landing a lot of punches. So, today, I'm a world champion because I earned it and fought for it.
"I'm the champion now. I will show why I'm the champion. I will assert myself and go for the knockout. I'm coming to hit him hard and often."
Both men are going into this collision with a world championship on the line and their pride at stake.
"I saw it a really close fight. It was very, very close," Top Rank's Todd DuBoef told Sky Sports. "It just felt like Conceicao was just the aggressor all night and was taking the fight to him.
"O'Shaquie's a brilliant boxer and he's clever," he continued. "I felt like stylistically in my eye Conceicao was the more aggressive fighter.
"For me to see that moment, where he had come up short so many times, against elite, elite talent and to see him actually grab it and then people question it … I wish he would have got the credit for the win."
Conceicao has had a proactive attitude throughout his career. "He had his yes head on all the time. You want Oscar Valdez? Yes. You want Shakur Stevenson? Yes. You want Emanuel Navarrete? Yes. He would take everybody and wanted to bring it on. You want O'Shaquie Foster? Yes," DuBoef said.
"That type of action and that type of commitment, of striving to be in the sport and put in great performances, you admire.
"Conceicao is a classic example of maybe coming up short a couple of times and capturing it. You can't take away what he did in his last performance to win the title. But I think now what he has to do is cement it for public opinion. I think public opinion nipped him in the bud on this one."
It leaves both fighters trying to prove something in this contest. Foster wants to right what he sees as the wrong of their first fight. For Conceicao this is his chance to confirm his worth as a champion. For each, only victory can do that.
Watch Conceicao vs Foster live on Sky Sports Main Event or Sky Sports+ at 12am on Sunday.
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