These days, the heavyweight division is as exciting as ever.
This past weekend alone showed us that, when battle-tested veteran Alexander Povetkin rallied to stop WBC mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte in round five. Povetkin was hurt and dropped twice one round earlier but caught Whyte with a dynamite uppercut that ended the show and changed the landscape of the division just a little bit.
And, as the heavyweights continue to jockey for top position, there are always new names emerging.
One of them, Jeremiah Milton, recently made his professional debut. Milton (1-0, 1 KO) proved to be too much, as he knocked out Dennis Vance Jr. (1-2, 1 KO) at 1:15 mark of round one. Milton hurt his foe and was able to patiently stalk him and finish him with a right hand that sent him to the canvas.
The fight actually aired as a part of “DETROIT BRAWL AT THE LEGENDARY KRONK” event at Detroit’s Kronk Gym. The event was presented by Salita Promotions and streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS®.
The first round was slow paced, but Milton showed patience and poise as he looked for the kill. Vance certainly isn’t the toughest of foes, and the competition will surely increase from this point moving forward.
After his victory, Milton reflected on what it meant to him. The Olympic trials second-place finisher is obviously in great spirits moving forward.
“I’m thankful to God for the opportunity to showcase my hard work,” said Milton shortly afterwards. “My team who got behind me, more than prepared me for this moment. To my mother who above all believed in me and to my brother Brian, who I made the commitment to see this through at the time of your passing, you will always be with me big brother.”
So too did Team Milton love what they saw from their fighter.
“Jeremiah is a special fighter who has all the skills to be a world champion, and this was a great start to his career,” said Mike Leanardì, CEO of Victory Sports Management. “This camp has been very hard, as he has had opponents who couldn’t make it to fight night because of the COVID-19 virus. I am impressed with the poise and professionalism of Jeremiah as he put on a spectacular performance.”
Victory Sports Management’s Rick Torres also commented.
“Last night Jeremiah showed why he is one of the most exciting heavyweights emerging in the division. Jeremiah is one of these special fighters who will provide fight fans with great fights for years to come.”
Who knows if that may be the case, but one thing for sure is that Milton is a fighter worth keeping an eye on. Anytime there is any kind of noise at heavyweight, whether a big title showdown, classic fight, or a prospect making his debut, it’s certainly worth noting.
Let’s see where Milton goes from here.
