Sergey Lipinets unfazed by late change of opponent, ready for Custio Clayton

Former IBF junior welterweight champion Sergey Lipinets 16-1 (12) says a late change in opponent won’t make any difference to him when he faces undefeated Canadian Custio Clayton 18-0 (12) for the interim IBF welterweight title at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut on Saturday night.

The 31-year-old Russian was originally scheduled to face Kudratillo Abdukakhorov but the Uzbek encountered visa issues that prevented him from travelling to the US.

“We never missed a beat in preparation, even with the opponent change,” said Lipinets. “My fight with Kudratillo Abdukakhorov was on and off for so long that I already had an idea that he was going to be forced to back out, so I wasn’t shocked.

“I don’t really care, though. Whoever I have to fight I’m ready to fight, so I didn’t consider backing out of fighting for even one second.”

Lipinets credits his trainer Joe Goossen for helping him mentally through the changes, in addition to the physical training they have undertaken heading into the fight.

“Having Joe Goossen is like having a psychiatrist as well as a trainer,” said Lipinets. “He’s been extremely helpful about how to approach all of this.

“Joe helped me stay calm and understand that something good can always come from a bad or difficult situation, and because of that, I never lost focus.”

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions, Lee Baxter Promotions and Mayweather Promotions.

“Custio Clayton is an outstanding replacement opponent given the late change and should provide a stiff test against Sergey Lipinets on October 24,” said Tom Brown, president of TGB Promotions.

“Clayton was already deep into training and will bring a wealth of experience, from his amateur days through his impressive pro career, into this showdown with Lipinets. This is a great opportunity for Clayton to announce himself as a welterweight contender against one of the division’s most dangerous fighters.”

“I’m very happy to have this opportunity,” said Clayton. “This is exactly the type of fight me and my team have been asking for. My preparation has been very good. This might seem like it’s last-minute, but I am more than ready for whatever Lipinets brings on October 24.”

Clayton is a Canadian Olympian with an unblemished pro resume heading into this showdown. While Lipinets notes that there are differences in the fighting styles between Abdukakhorov and Clayton, none of it changes his intent on October 24.

“I know that Clayton has a great amateur background,” said Lipinets. “I’ve checked out his style, and the main difference is that Abdukakhorov is more active and Clayton is more accurate. Abdukakhorov is also a little more aggressive and Clayton is more patient.

“I don’t think one is tougher or easier than the other. I think that anyone fighting at this level is a difficult opponent.

“Abdukakhorov moves around more and can be more awkward with the different styles he uses. Both are very tough guys, but I’m ready for Clayton and focused only on him at this point.”

Despite his sole focus on Clayton, Lipinets knows that this fight brings a big opportunity to make a loud proclamation to the rest of the stacked welterweight division with a big performance to capture the interim IBF title.

“I’m prepared to make one statement – I belong here,” said Lipinets. “I want to fight the best. I want to make my imprint on this sport and build my legacy.

“I’ve had to do it the hard way, but I’m not complaining. I fought for my first championship in just my 13th pro fight. I believe that I belong right there at the top of this sport.

“People need to start mentioning my name with the top guys and after this fight they’ll have to. You can’t look past me anymore.”