Adonis Stevenson has vowed to be the first man to knock out Sakio Bika when the two men meet in the ring in Quebec City on Saturday. Bika’s response: Give it your best shot.
Sakio Bika will make his 175-pound debut Saturday against Adonis Stevenson in Quebec City.
“If he wants to go toe-to-toe, I'm willing to do that,” Bika said. “I want to test myself, see if I can handle Stevenson. I don't think that he has fought anyone who can punch as hard me."
Bika (32-6-3, 21 KOs) will attempt to dethrone Stevenson (25-1, 21 KOs) as a 175-pound world champion in a Premier Boxing Champions fight being televised live on CBS.
“This man is no different from other big punchers I've fought,” Bika said. "I see no problem making the jump [from 168 to 175 pounds]. I can take a big punch. I'm not at a disadvantage, because the champion made this transition successfully himself less than two years ago against Chad Dawson.”
Stevenson won the title in his 175-pound debut when he scored a first-round knockout of Dawson in June 2013, and has defended his crown four times since then.
“Bika’s tough. He’s a wide puncher who lands from any angle,” Stevenson said. “It’s an awkward style. But knockouts sell, so I’m going for it.”
Bika, nicknamed “The Scorpion,” says he will deliver a Kryptonite sting to the fighter known as “Superman,” claiming Stevenson “goes down every time he’s caught on the chin.”
“After all these years fighting at 168, it became increasingly difficult to make weight. That was a major factor in my defeats," said Bika, turns 36 on April 18. "I'm always in the toughest fights, but this time, I'm very confident that the Scorpion can bring the title back home.”
Bika is 4-1-1 with two knockouts in his past six fights. His last two fights were 168-pound title bouts against Anthony Dirrell, who won a 12-round unanimous decision over Bika in August after the fighters battled to a split-decision draw in December 2013.
“Bika's got a shot against anybody he's in the ring with," Dirrell said. "If Stevenson thinks he'll get Bika with one shot, that's not gonna happen."
Stevenson and Bika will meet in the ring for the first time since Stevenson helped Bika prepare for his 168-pound fight against Lucian Bute in June 2007. Bute, who like Stevenson is a southpaw, beat Bika in a 12-round decision.
“I dominated him,” Stevenson said of Bika. “But he’s changed and I’ve changed, so it doesn't matter.”
Bika said he scarcely recalls working out with Stevenson, who was 7-0 with six knockouts at the time.
“I don’t remember those five rounds we sparred,” Bika said. “But he will remember me after April 4.”
