“In this fight, you have to create more separation. Your fights are too close, man,” Bradley said on his YouTube channel. “You compete, but you don’t compete to win. You’re just there, bro.
“You gotta take these guys out, man. That’s what you gotta do. You gotta take the judges out of it.”
Bradley also encouraged Roach to increase his activity against Zepeda’s high-volume offense.
“You have to be more active than you have been in your last few fights. That’s how you’re going to get it done,” Bradley said. “Some judges like guys who are busier than the other guy. They just throw shots, and whether they land or not, they just throw punches.”
Roach, 25-1-3 (10 KOs), enters the fight after a series of close fights. He fought Gervonta Davis to a draw in March and later fought Isaac Cruz to a split decision. Prior to those bouts, Roach earned a split decision over Hector Garcia.
Zepeda, 33-1 (27 KOs), is coming off the only loss of his career, a unanimous decision loss to Shakur Stevenson in July 2025. The Mexican pusher remained competitive throughout the contest and now gets another opportunity to secure a world title.
Zepeda built its reputation on constant pressure and high punch output. The Mexican was given the opportunity to fight for the vacant WBC title after Shakur Stevenson moved on from the belt.
The winner of the August 1 clash will emerge as the new WBC lightweight champion, potentially positioning himself for big fights in one of boxing’s deepest divisions.
