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Boxing
'Fighters fight' - Liam Paro eager for first world title defence against Richardson Hitchins
Watch Paro vs. Hitchins live Dec. 7 on DAZN
Liam Paro doesn't want to rest on his laurels.
The 28-year-old is the IBF junior welterweight champion after defeating Subriel Matias to win the belt in June, and now he prepares for his second fight of 2024 — and his first world title defence — as he'll face Richardson Hitchson on Saturday in Puerto Rico.
The Australian is eager to test his mettle against the mandatory challenger, stating a preference for being an active champion.
“I’ve said this my whole career, fighters fight," Paro said at the pre-fight press conference on Thursday. "I want to be a busy champion, and when we didn’t get any other bites, we called on our mandatory.
"We knew that we would have to take care of [Hitchins] sooner or later and felt that sooner is better than later. So, here we are now, two days away from squaring off and I can’t wait to show the world what we already know.”
Paro knows that things at the top are tough, as the target is now squarely on his back. However, he feels up to the task against a challenger who also boasts an unbeaten record so far.
“I’ll give credit where credit is due, Hitchins is mandatory for a reason," Paro said. "He’s worked his way up there, and we know that this isn’t an easy task.
"We’re at the world level now where every fighter is elite, so we’ve done the right things in the gym. Alfie [Di Carlo] is the best coach in the world, and now it’s just up to me to execute the plan perfectly on Saturday night.”
How to watch Liam Paro vs. Richardson Hitchins on DAZN
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