“Obviously we came up with a good strategy, good game plan. Dana (Wit) and Zuffa, Nick Khan, they didn’t give us any problems or anything. They’re fired up.”
Berlanga says he told Dana White he wants to win a super middleweight world title. In other words, he’s not just focused on winning a Zuffa belt.
“I told Dana, ‘Listen, I want to win a world title at 168,'” Berlanga said. “That’s my goal. That’s why I’m very stuck right now, especially after this last fight, it woke me up.”
It’s going to be difficult for Berlanga to win a world title at 168 without careful matchmaking by Zuffa. Interestingly, he says he wanted to fight the winner of the showdown between WBA 168-lb champion Jose Armando Resendiz and Jaime Munguia. Many fans believe Resendiz is the weakest link among the current super middleweight champions.
“I’m interested in the Resendiz and Munguia, who are going to fight in a few weeks,” said Berlanga. “It’s a stupid fight that I think we can get something really fun going. You know, the winner of it.”
It’s a realistic fight for Berlanga, as long as Zuffa offers the winner enough money to make it attractive. Munguia would obviously prefer a rematch with Canelo Alvarez if presented with that option.
“I want that Eubank fight, that Chris Eubank fight,” Berlanga said. “I’m interested in that.”
Om Eubank Jr. as a target is the definition of a “business level” fight. Eubank Jr. is 36, coming off a loss to Conor Benn late last year, and is clearly on the decline. For Berlanga, it’s a low-risk, high-reward payday. He’s getting a “big ass arena” in the UK against a name that’s popular with casual fans, but poses very little threat to a younger, naturally bigger super middleweight.
“There’s a lot more money out there,” Berlanga said of fighting Eubank Jr. in the UK. “Then we’re going to fight in that big hole arena. And you know me, I’ve fought Canelo. Thousands of Mexicans. So I don’t mind going there.”
The move to Zuffa Boxing looks like an attempt to restore his image. This is actually quite smart for Berlanga if his goal is to make as much money as possible before the wheels completely fall off. But if he thinks of a 36-year-old Eubank Jr. or beating a champion like Resendiz, making him the “King of New York”, will probably be fruitless. To Eubank Jr. or beating Resendiz will not change the fans’ perception of Berlanga.
After being stopped by Hamzah Sheeraz last July and losing to Canelo before that, Berlanga’s stock as an elite fighter is at an all-time low.
Brooklyn, New York native Berlanga says Dana White told him he needed to be a superstar in New York. It is unclear why this would be the case, as Berlanga has never won a world title and is mostly known for losing to Canelo and Hamzah Sheeraz. His best wins were over British fighters, Jason Quigley and Padraig McCrory. These are not high level fighters.
“Dana was like, ‘Yo, bro, I know how big you are in New York, but you shouldn’t even be able to walk in the city right now,'” Berlanga said. “You should have 100 thousand people trying to take pictures with you. No, it’s the brand. To build your brand. To put you in the right position where to make you so much of a star. That’s why I love him.”
It sounds like Berlanga is talking a massive game as he looks for the path of least resistance. It feels more like a survival strategy wrapped in Dana White’s marketing paper.
