Freddie Roach will be working the corner of welterweight Gor Yeritsyan tonight (February 23) when the welterweight takes on Texan Quinton Randall.
The fight will be broadcast on UFC Fight Pass.
Roach is confident in the 29-year-old Armenian and predicted that he might just be better than fellow Armenian boxing legend Vic Darchinyan.
“Vic [Darchinyan] was a great student, and I think Gor might be a little bit better,” said Roach.
When told that is quite the statement Roach responded promptly.
“Yes it is.”
Though Roach gave Randall credit, he feels Yeritsyan will have too much on the 360 Promotions show in Santa Ynez, California.
“It’s a good match-up,” said Roach. “Gor is a good boxer, and our opponent is more of a mover, he uses the ropes, angles, runs a little bit. We just need to cut the ring off, and set traps for him [and] knock him out along the way.
“He is getting better all the time, he is really becoming a complete fighter.”
Yeritsyan has a record of 17-0, 14 KOs. His victory last November saw him snap a four-fight knockout streak as he was taken the distance by Luis Alberto Veron. Yeritsyan won an eight-round unanimous decision and this is only Yeritsyan’s second 10-round fight, having yet to go beyond eight rounds as a pro.
“Gor Yeritsyan is very seasoned, he had a great amateur career, trained by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach,” said Yeritsyan’s promoter, Tom Loeffler, after yesterday’s weigh-in.
“He’s 17-0 now, he has to fight guys like Quinton Randall. Quinton Randall is coming to win. You saw he was in tremendous shape at the weigh-in today.
“Quinton Randall is going to prove a big challenge for Gor, but these are the type of fights Gor has to take not just for his career, but if he is going to headline UFC Fight Pass, and headline Hollywood Fight Nights. These are the type of fights that the fighters have be in.”
Randall, 33, enters the fight after his first career loss to Brian Norman Jr. He has a record of 13-1-1 with three knockouts.