Michael McKinson believes that Vergil Ortiz will regret waiting an extra five months for their welterweight match-up.
McKinson was due to make his US debut against the American welterweight in March but ill health forced Ortiz to pull out of the initial bout.
It has now been arranged for this weekend, shown live on DAZN, but McKinson thinks that his extended time to prepare makes him a more dangerous prospect for Ortiz.
Speaking to The DAZN Boxing Show, he said: “They should have got me in March. I’m a completely different fighter, I’m much more developed, I’ve made lots of improvements ever since. I’ve had six months to prepare for Vergil Ortiz now. I’m happy I’m confident, I’m well prepared, and I’m ready to get there.”
Given the frantic period before his last fight in March that saw Alex Martin step in to take on Ortiz’s place, McKinson discussed the chances of another problem, but he is not fazed.
“As long as they’ve got a replacement on standby,” he stated.
“I think there’s a lot of pressure on Ortiz to fight me. I’m sure he’ll make 147lbs, he’s got that pressure that everyone’s going to be thinking the same.
"A lot of people who knew him said they didn’t know how he made 147, so he is a big guy. It’s not a secret. I’m sure he’ll be fine. I can’t wait.”