Fighter’s Corner Quincy Mirage

Quincy Mirage, LAPD is set to fight Erik Ramirez, LASD for the second time November 22, 2013 in what is sure to be a continuation of their first barn burner fight. The UCA talks to the 6th ranked Middleweight about his upcoming fight with Ramirez.

UCA – The last time Ramirez fought was against you nearly one year ago. You are coming off “Fight of the Night” honors defeating 8^th ranked Brent Burkhart, CDCR DVI April 20, 2013. Do you feel you have an advantage since you have been more active and Ramirez has had a long layoff?

QM – Absolutely. Boxing is a dangerous sport that requires hours of dedication. The longer you are out of the ring the more susceptible you are to lose a step. The most valuable commodity in boxing is speed and if you’re away long enough your reflexes and reaction speed become compromised.

UCA – What gym are you training at?

QM – Currently we are training at three different facilities. Mondays and Tuesdays the team meets at the Hollenbeck Youth Center in East Los Angeles. Wednesdays and Thursdays we are at City of Angels Boxing Gym, owned by former professional boxer Alexander Brenes, in North Los Angeles, and Fridays we train at The 818 Boxing Gym in Pacoima.

UCA – Who are your stable mates?

QM – For this year’s Fight For Life I have primarily been working with Aurelio Vazquez, Ruben Rosas, Brendy Ponce, Danny Ramirez, Nestor Escobar, and Eriverto Montano. Hopefully in the last couple weeks leading up to the fight Ivan Guillermo will be working with me as well. Edgar Ponce’s boxers at The 818 Boxing Club have also helped me out tremendously.

UCA – How often are you training?

QM – I aim to box 5 days per week. But boxing is so physically demanding that sometimes I will have to take one day off in the middle of the week to recuperate. On the days that I’m not boxing I’m running or lifting weights.

UCA – Did you study your fight with Ramirez?

QM – When we first met I had less than one year of boxing experience. It’s really hard for me to learn anything from our first fight. I took a cautious approach and fought him from the outside so it’s difficult for me to speculate how he will react when we meet again later this month. He has years of experience over me so it would be a mistake to underestimate any of his abilities. I know he has an outstanding defense and I’m going to have to be unpredictable if I want any of my punches to get through

UCA – Are you training on anything specific in preparation for Ramirez?

QM – I’m focusing on getting in as much sparring as possible so that I can be comfortable when we are in close quarters

UCA – Do you feel you made mistakes in the first fight?

QM – I feel as though I didn’t spend enough time fighting in close quarters with him. It’s difficult to watch tape and predict how he will react when we fight close

UCA – What advantage do you think you have over Ramirez?

QM – I definitely feel as though he has more boxing experience than I do.  I started boxing really late in my life and there is no way I can compensate his years of experience over my two years of training. I am confident that my endurance and my cardiovascular strength will make this an evenly matched fight.

UCA – Do you expect a different Ramirez in the rematch?

QM – Definitely. I’m sure he has been training and with the experience he already has the training he is getting now surely is making him a better fighter. Certainly we are going to feel more comfortable with each other since we have already met once before.

UCA – Is there anything that worries you about Ramirez?

QM – Yes. I know that he is training and he has fought me before. He is going to feel more comfortable taking risks and bigger risks offer bigger rewards. I am going to see a better Ramirez on November 22^nd as he will see a better me.

UCA – Will your strategy be different for this fight compared to the first one?

QM – Yes. As I mentioned earlier, we are both slightly more comfortable with one another since we have met before. I’m sure we are going to close the gap and exchange with each other more that we did the first time around.

UCA – Do you feel you are a different fighter now?

QM – I’ve improved exponential since last year and that comes with all the hours I have been investing in the gym with my coaches and teammates. Coach Robert Morales pushes my endurance past plateaus I never could have imagined myself passing, Coach Frank Diaz records sparring sessions and quickly corrects mistakes before they become habits, and Coach John Negrete is constantly testing my defenses and reflexes. I have three different coaches giving me instructions throughout the week and at times they put me in situations where I feel like I’m sinking in quicksand, but I know it’s to test my mental toughness and at the end of the day it makes me that much sharper.

UCA – Have you envisioned in your mind how the fight will go? How does it end?

QM – Ramirez has the experience and the defense to go all three rounds. I see this fight going the distance. I rely on my experience and the expertise of my coaching staff to make the appropriate adjustments to give us the decision in the end.

UCA – Is there added pressure being the Main Event?

QM – Definitely. There are several fighters on the LAPD boxing team that deserve the Main Event over me. It’s an honor I feel like I haven’t earned quite yet. I particularly would have liked to see Ruben Rosas in the last fight, but it’s not my decision. The added pressure comes with wanting to put on a good enough performance to make my teammates and coaches proud.

UCA – Are you prepared to go three hard rounds?

QM – Absolutely. If there is one thing I do better than anything it is training past the point of failure. Entering this sport I knew I would be disadvantaged with my age and lack of experience. I had to make up for it somewhere and I feel like my endurance in this sport levels the playing field.

UCA – What will you be thinking about as you walk to the ring?

QM – On my way to the ring I like to do a system check to make sure everything is relaxed and that I’m not preoccupied with anything in my mind that will keep me from succeeding.  I drown out the noise of the crowd, put my blinders on, and remind myself that I have the best coaches and teammates that have prepared me for this moment.

UCA – Will we see the best Mirage Nov 22?

QM – Yes. Every time I step into the ring you can expect to see the best Quincy Mirage. The moment my performance declines I will hang up the gloves and find another sport to compete in.