Derrick Osaze hopes to get back to winning ways on Friday when he meets George Liddard in a middleweight bout that tops Matchroom's first NXTGEN card of 2025, live worldwide on DAZN.
Osaze's last outing was a second-round loss to Denzel Bentley, which put an end to his three-fight win streak. The 31-year-old now takes on a fighter in Liddard who is nearly a decade his junior, and Osaze admitted he knows little more than that about his impending opponent.
"What do I know about George? He supports West Ham," Osaze said at a press conference on Wednesday. "That’s all I know.
"And he dresses like Eddie Hearn. As you can see, they’ve probably gone to the same designer. They look good. Eddie Hearn is a lot taller in person."
Levity aside, Osaze said he expects a tough bout from the up-and-coming Liddard, but he stopped short of engaging in much of the banter that typically comes in the days leading up to a fight.
"In terms of George, he’s a good fighter," he said. "You’re not going to be sitting in this seat and topping a Matchroom bill if you’re not a good fighter.
"As for the fight, Eddie is right when he says it’s a tough test. If you know me, I’m not really into all this talking. I like to do my talking on Friday. It should be a very good fight."
While not looking to partake in too much trash talk, Osaze does not want his humble approach to be mistaken for feebleness. The veteran fighter is not looking to be seen as merely a springboard to help launch a promising young combatant's career — Osaze is in it to win.
"I didn’t get into this sport to become some sort of gatekeeper, some sort of stepping stone or some sort of test," Osaze said. "My career has not been the easiest or straightest road.
"I’ve never missed a fight through injury. I’ve never pulled out of fights, but I’ve had fights missed because of COVID tests, I’ve had a fight because of the Queen passing. I've had fights cancelled literally days before.
"It's not been straightforward, but at the same time, I refuse to become anyone's stepping stone. They've brought me in here for a reason and I'm here to mess up the script."
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