Former IBF featherweight champion Billy “The Kid” Dib 43-4 (24) is out to prove he belongs amongst the elite in the 130-pound weight class when he takes on Tevin “American Dream” Farmer 25-4-1 (5) for the vacant IBF super featherweight title at Technology Park in the Sydney inner-city suburb of Redfern on Friday night.
The 32-year-old Dib, who held the IBF 126-pound crown from 2011 to 2013, has only ever lost to world class operators in world title fights and believes that under the watchful eye of his new trainer Jeff Fenech that he will be able to reach great heights again.
“Having Jeff in my life has been an absolute blessing,” Dib told Maxboxing.com. “He is the best thing to happen to me in years. I feel that Jeff has given me that confidence I was lacking. He has helped bring happiness into my life.
“A happy fighter is a good fighter and you will see that on August 3rd.”
Philadelphia’s Farmer, who hasn’t lost a fight in almost six years, lost a razor-thin decision to Japan’s Kenichi Ogawa in a world title fight last December. The result was later overturned to a no contest after Ogawa failed a drug test.
“I felt it was a competitive fight. Truth is I thought either of them could have been announced the champion,” said Dib.
“Tevin deserves this opportunity again and I look forward to testing my skills against him on August 3rd to determine the new IBF super featherweight champion.”
Dib won the vacant IBF featherweight title against Mexico’s Jorge Lacierva in 2011 and held on to the title for almost two years before running into then-unheralded Russian Evgeny Gradovich.
“I had a good run early on, the losses to Gradovich were heart-breaking, but that’s boxing,” said Dib.
“I put the past behind me and jumped back on the horse. I believe everything happens for a reason and the Almighty had other plans for me.
“Here I am in 2018 on the verge of quite possibly becoming a three-time world champion [including the IBO super featherweight championship]. God is great, I’m blessed.”
 is out to prove he belongs amongst the elite in the 130-pound weight class when he takes on Tevin “American Dream” Farmer 25-4-1 (5) for the vacant IBF super featherweight title at Technology Park in the Sydney inner-city suburb of Redfern on Friday night.){kind=link}