“Santana’s correct…. The fight won’t go the Distance!”

RC: Dmitriy, it looks like HBO, DiBella and Santana have all agreed to you fighting Edgar Santana in February on Boxing After Dark and supposedly they are all waiting on you to accept the fight. What’s the verdict?
DS: it’s a fight that I am going to take and it’s a fight that I have agreed to. It’s up to Lou and HBO and Lou to work out the details. I agreed to the fight the first time that I heard about it. I actually discussed this fight with DiBella in the summer time, so I had a feeling that is was going to happen.

RC: Being that you have agreed, does that mean agreed like all parties involved are ready to sign or agreed as that’s just the beginning we still have a ways to make it complete?
DS: Some of the business details have to be worked out, but I have agreed to take the fight. I have agreed to negotiate the fight and work everything out; I have agreed to make it happen. It is something that I want to happen so…

RC: At this point what can make the fight not happen?
DS: At this point I cant comment on those things because I don’t know much about the business operations at this point and time so there is nothing for me to say.

RC: Give us your thoughts on Santana as a fighter overall?
DS: I think Edgar Santana is a good fighter; I have been around him for a long time. I think that he is in a learning process, a learning stage in his professional career and he is doing well. I do however feel that a fight with me is a gigantic step up for him and it is too much of a leap as will be evident. But I think he is a good fighter I think he is a very good prospect and all I have to say is good things about his boxing.

RC: You guys were stable mates at one time as the two of you both worked with Hector Roc….
DS: (Cutting in) Yes, Santana came to my training camp four or five times and prepared with me and he has also fought on my card, we are very familiar with one another. We have probably done over a hundred rounds of boxing together.

RC: In his interview (http://www.boxingtalk.com/pag/article10462.html) with Greg Leon here on Boxingtalk.com he predicted that this fight probably wont go the distance…
DS: (Cutting in) he is right, it won’t.

RC: So you are saying it wont go the distance meaning….
DS: (Cutting in) meaning that it won’t go the distance

RC: So as bold as he predicted it, you are doing the same?
DS: I box and I let things develop on its own and there is a very good possibility that will happen.

RC: Has there been anything that took place in sparring between the two of you that would lead you to believe that you will stop him in an actual bout?
DS: what happens in training happens in training and I don’t want to dwell on it or talk about it because it happened in training. If something happens in a fight it is for everyone to see and talk about

RC: Are you surprised at his prediction that the fight wont go the distance?
DS: I am surprised that he took the fight and that his manager (Ernesto Dallas) called me out after the fight, I am a little surprised by that. I feel that it kind of makes it personal in a certain way, but no I am not surprised, he just had a very very great performance and his confidence is very high. I have been in the ring I know what his talk is about. I know how fighters think and I know their mental state, and he is riding a high wave now and I would expect him to say something like that. At this point if you tell him he is fighting Floyd Mayweather he would say he is going to knock him out, he’s high. He is on a high and I understand that.

RC: Being that the two of you have actually spent a lot of time together, and by him talking the way he has been, does it kind of make it easier to prepare for this fight? In other words does it make it easier to put the friendship between you two to the side and motivate you a bit?
DS: Yeah it does, but one thing is you have to remember Ray is that I have been around boxing for a long time and when I say I have been around boxing I mean I haven’t just been boxing for a long time. I was one of the youngest people ever to win the Metros; I was 16 and I fought against men. In won the under 19’s and I beat Ray Sanchez who was a big puncher. I beat Joey Rios, everybody knows in the finals of the golden gloves and they are many other guys that I beat that became good pros. So I have experience since I was a little kid in being in big fights and being in fights with big punchers and guys that planned in there mind that they were going to knock me out and do this and do that. I have been through this all before, I understand it and I like it so it is all good.

One thing that I want to stress is I haven’t gotten many breaks in boxing. I have paid my dues in boxing; I have been in some tough situation as an amateur and a pro. I haven’t gotten any breaks on any major television; I have paid my dues to get where I am at. People think that because people come to my fights and show support, they think things are jolly so to say. But I have been working hard and going through the grinds since I was a little kid. This has been my life for real, day in and day out every aspect of my life is affected by boxing. So I take it very seriously, and especially this opportunity I take very seriously.

RC: Anything else you’d like to add?
DS: I am looking forward to this fight; I am waiting for a little more information on the fight like exactly where it is going to take place. I have been in the gym and I have been training and working hard, and I will be ready to rumble.

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