“All the fighters he’s knocked out, all the fighters he’s fought in the last 10 fights where he’s actually started fighting big names, they’re all tailor-made for him,” Zayas told Fight Hub TV. “None of those fighters fight like me.”
Zayas said that many of Ennis’ recent opponents have been smaller push fighters who needed to step up, which he sees as a favorable look for Ennis.
“I’m a boxer-puncher. I know how to counter. I know how to use my speed. I know how to use my jab,” Zayas said.
The 23-year-old also argued that Ennis struggled more against opponents who could operate at a distance, citing past criticism of the Karen Chukhadzhian fights.
“When he did have a guy who could fight on the outside, he struggled,” Zayas said.
The Karen Chukhadzhian reunion at the end of 2024 was a massive eye opener for anyone who thought Boots was an invincible boogeyman. As Ennis got the decision, he looked human. He was marked with clean shots, his face was marked, and he seemed to lose his composure trying to force a knockout that never came.
Zayas is smart to capitalize on that narrative. Looking at Ennis’ resume, you can see why Xander feels this way. Most of the guys Boots took down, like Roiman Villa or even Eimantas Stanionis, essentially walked in his range. They didn’t give him many lateral movement puzzles to solve.
Xander bets that his boxing IQ and height will frustrate Ennis the same way Chukhadzhian does, but with the added threat of his own strength. If Ennis hasn’t stepped up that defensive carelessness he’s shown in his last few fights, Zayas might be the one to finally make him pay for it.
