Oscar Valdez not bothered by underdog status ahead of the Shakur Stevenson fight

WBC super featherweight champion Oscar Valdez has realised that he is a boxer who is only as good as the result of his last fight and unfortunately his performance against Brazilian Robson Conciencao received a mixed reception from fans.

That is why seven months later he is looking for a performance that will catapult him back to the top of the super featherweight division, which could come this coming Saturday in Las Vegas where the Mexican world champion will face WBO champion Shakur Stevenson Stevenson in a unification fight.

"The time has come. The moment Shakur Stevenson, the one the public was waiting for, the one I was waiting for... because we all know that Shakur Stevenson has a lot of time mentioning my name, quite some time insulting me on social networks. It's pure motivation for me and I'm training just as hard as always, but now we are trained physically and mentally for this fight," Valdez said in an interview with DAZN News.

Valdez trains with Eddy Reynoso alongside Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and revealed that his preparation for this unficication clash focused on both the mental and physical aspects of his strategy inside the ring. 

"It's not the same to prepare for a normal fight [compared] to a unification and it just comes at the right time, because from my last fight I learned a lot above and below the ring, because it became a landing in reality. You can't believe what everybody is telling you. Because one day they love you and the other day they want to crush you.

"Above the ring I learned that you can't lose focus. Now I know I have to be focused at all times in the fight. I can't focus on the criticism.

"I know that my last fight was not my best performance, now I have another new opportunity against an extremely difficult fighter, even more difficult than the previous opponent but it is my chance to regain the credibility we had before and I'm going with everything, I'm going to leave the best of me."

Valdez is convinced that his training methods and experiences from past fights are what give him an advantage over Shakur, because throughout his career he has had to mature as a fighter.

"I have had ups and downs and that has made me stronger, it has prepared me for what I am now. I'm facing a tough challenge, which is to try to become unified champion, it's not the same as just going for a title," he said.

"Everything I've been through has prepared me for the position I'm in now. I'm a different kind of fighter."

However, the Mexican who dethroned knockout Miguel Berchelt to win the WBC 130lb title acknowledged that Shakur Stevenson's style is totally different, and is something that he has not faced so far. 

"Shakur is a very defensive fighter, very careful, who doesn't like to take risks, where he spends a lot of time at a distance and it's difficult that kind of fight - but not impossible.

"They are fighters that can be beaten, but making a smarter fight. It will be a fight that, instead of being a war, will be a game of chess.

"The first one to make a mistake will pay the price. It's a fight that will be physically demanding, but more so mentally.

"In all my fights I raise my level, on par with my competition. I hope the best version of Shakur Stevenson comes because that will bring out the best in me.

"There's a saying that you're only as good as you were in your last fight. If the public looks at Shakur's last fight they see a great performance.

"The public sees my last fight, they see one of my worst performances. That's why I see a lot of people are leaning towards Shakur in the betting, which doesn't bother me at all, because it gives me room to show everything about myself."