Mickey Bey knows he's the under dog, but doesn't mind
Mickey Bey has rattled off two straight wins since his surprise 2013 loss to John Molina. The lightweight next gets a shot at IBF lightweight champion Miguel Vazquez this Saturday on the undercard of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana II ppv.
Though the sometimes cocky fighter knows he's an underdog, he doesn't mind the role. “I prefer this," he said at a recent media day.
"People don’t know how hungry or determined I am. You never know who’s gonna come out on top in this game, you never know for sure what the guy has inside, and you never know what a fighter’s gonna bring that night. So you’ve got to be ready."
Bey understands the opportunity before him and says it is the result of his focus and hard work. “The world title fight for me is huge and it just shows that being patient and doing the hard work pays off," he continued.
"I’ve had a lot of interruptions but you just have to stay patient, stick with it without losing focus, training hard and never think about quitting or giving up."
Bey believes he'll leave Las Vegas this weekend as a new lightweight champ, but he isn't looking past Vazquez as he may have done with Molina, late in their fight. ”Vazquez is a legit champion with several title defenses. I give full credit to him," Bey insisted.
Though Bey knows Vazquez posses unique and awkward challenges in the ring, he's eager to prove he can conquer them and claim the top spot at 135 pound. "He’s rated number one at lightweight," Bey said of Vazquez.
"That’s what makes it better for me. A lot of people complain that guys are fighting for vacant titles or cherry-picking. I just love the biggest challenges and coming out on top and that is what I’m gonna do on Sept. 13. We’re both stepping up and I’m the underdog."
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