Rafael Espinoza: “I think of myself as challenger” in maiden defense vs Sergio Chirino

When little known Rafael Espinoza stepped into the ring with then WBO featherweight titleholder Robeisy Ramirez last December, he called it ‘the opportunity of a life time.”

On that particular evening, the Mexican scored what would later be called “The Ring Magazine Upset of The Year” with an exciting 12-round majority decision to annex the title.

Fast forward six-months, and Espinoza finds himself on the opposite side of that equation when he meets once-beaten Sergio Chirino at the Fontainebleau, Las Vegas, on Friday.

Espinoza, rated at No. 6 by The Ring at featherweight, has gone from the hunter to the hunted.

“Yes, I am conscious of that and I do take it with a lot of responsibility,” Espinoza (24-0, 20 knockouts) told The Ring through Gabe Rivas. “I still try to think of myself as the challenger because I really want to keep that belt.”

The 30-year-old knows that Chirino will bring his absolute best but is intent on not allowing him to achieve his goal.

“I think he’s going to come to win the title, like all who come to challenge for a world title,” he said. “That’s a dream of all boxers but I’m going to do everything possible to win.

“I have seen him, I have seen videos of him that are on the Internet. He had an amateur career but that’s not something that is going to surprise me or faze me because I’ve defeated a two-time Olympic gold medalist. I know he has grit, I know that he throws punches and knows boxing but I’m going to find the best strategy to win. I’m going to be here and defend with grit, honor and just like I captured it, I will defend it.”

The fight has extra spice because it will be between two Mexican’s, which always tends to bring out the best of each man.

“We demand a lot of ourselves, we want to be the best,” he explained. “When it’s a Mexican versus Mexican showdown and when that happens we’re willing to die on the front line, leave everything in the ring.”

The aforementioned world title win was a watershed moment having been a professional for a decade.

“I think about it and it feels like yesterday, I would like every day to be like that,” he said of the life altering moment. “It was something that I dreamed about for a long time and I achieved it, I am on the other side of it and I’m going to keep working hard in order to keep scoring wins like the fight we talked about and this one as well.”

Following the triumph he visited the offices of the WBO and was officially belted before returning home to celebrate with his nearest and dearest.

“I went to Puerto Rico where they gave me my belt,” he said. “Then I went to the town where my parents are from in Michoacan. I went to celebrate where they made music, I had food and they had a special mass along with the saint, the divine faith. I still see those videos, I watch them and I cry.”

While there are many options in the talent rich featherweight division including a second go-around with Ramirez, he won’t let his attention be diverted from the task in hand.

“My focus is on this fight,” he said. “My main goal is Sergio Chirino and then we can talk about a rematch after this.”

Chirino (22-1, 13 KOs) was a good amateur, who fought around the globe, notably in the World Series of Boxing before turning professional in 2016. After nine wins he retired at the end of the second round due to a cut against big-punching future WBA featherweight titlist Mauricio Lara.

Since then, the 29-year-old has reeled off 13 consecutive wins all in Mexico, though this will be a marked step up in opposition.

Espinoza-Chirino, plus undercard bouts, will be broadcast on ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT.

Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at [email protected].

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