Dionisio Miranda vs Giovanni Lorenzo © Ed Mulholland

Dionisio “Mr. Knockout” Miranda (20-4-2, 18 KOs) arrived Wednesday afternoon at Los Angeles in anticipation of his IBF title eliminator this Friday with former World Champion and top-ranked middleweight contender Roman “Made in Hell” Karmazin (39-3-1, 25 KOs). The winner will receive a mandatory title shot against IBF middleweight champion Sebastian Sylvester. “Mr. Knockout” graciously granted FightNews an interview to discuss his showdown with Karmazin.

How was training camp in Las Vegas?

Thank God very good. I went there and got in real good condition and God is on my side.

You normally train out of Miami. What made you relocate to Las Vegas for this fight?

My manager, Alfredo Marchio, sent me to train with Rafael Garcia at MMA Fight Club, who has helped train World Champion Edwin Valero and other top ranked fighters.

How is your weight?

I’m walking around at 161 and feel very comfortable. I have fought at 147 and 154 and feel most comfortable at 160.

You have a height and reach advantage over Karmazin. Is that something you plan to exploit?

Yes, it’s a God given gift and it’s what I plan on using to my advantage.

You have been in this situation before in an eliminator and came up short. Have you learned from that experience in your loss to Giovanni Lorenzo?

I learned a lot of things from that fight. Most importantly, to stay in the gym and do the right things by keeping up with my training.

You pulled out an upset win against world ranked fighters before in Sebastien Demers and fought a great fight against undefeated middleweight Peter Quillen on ESPN that many thought you won. Is that the fighter we should expect to see Friday night in Glendale?

Yes, absolutely.

You go by the nickname “Mr. Knockout.” Any predictions?

I came here prepared to win by knockout or by decision. I want to put on a good show for the fans in attendance in Glendale and the people watching on ESPN on January 8th.

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“Glendale Glory 2” is presented by Art of Boxing Promotions in association with Bash Boxing and Alfredo Marchio. Tickets are available online at http://www.glendaleglory.com or by calling (626) 388-8888 or (213) 700-2274. Doors open at 5:30 pm with the first bout set for 6:00 pm. The ESPN2 FNF telecast begins at 7:00 pm PT/10:00 pm ET.