By Edward Chaykovsky

Adrien Broner is often viewed as the villain. Later tonight he will go for his fourth world title in his home state of Ohio. He faces Russia's Khabib Allakhverdiev at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati. 

 

Broner (30-2, 22 KOs), who captured titles at super featherweight, lightweight and welterweight, battles Allakhverdiev (19-1, 9 KOs) - a former WBA "regular" 140-pound champion - in the main event of a  Showtime (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) card. The vacant WBA 'regular' junior welterweight world title will be at stake.

Broner knows a lot of people want him to lose tonight, but he's not bothered by any of that. Many of his close friends, family and supporters will be in attendance to cheer him on.

 

"No, it don't hurt that a lot of people want to see me lose, because there are also a lot of people who want to see me win too. It's all a balance. That's just want you're gonna get and I knew that, with me being myself. I knew that I was going to get a lot of people who liked me and a lot of people who didn't like me," Broner said in a Showtime interview with Mark Kriegel.

"It's crazy that they stereotype me to be a bad guy, because I'm not a bad guy. I'd give  up my last if I had to. I'd help anybody first hand if I could. I don't see how you could call me a bad guy.....because I'm outspoken and I speak my mind? Because I don't do what you might like me to do and I do what I want to do and do it like I want to do it. I probably come off as being an arrogant, cocky little guy. But if someone hung out with Adrien Broner, they would probably lobe Adrien Broner for the rest of their life."