Lightweights Devin Cushing and Manuel Correa aren’t family names, however like Sean Garcia and Amado Vargas who additionally seem on the Honda Middle in Anaheim on Saturday (July 6), they carry a shared newbie historical past into their upcoming struggle.
Their bout will kick off the pay-per-view portion of Saturday’s occasion headlined by Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal.
Initially neglected, the struggle gained consideration on account of heated exchanges on the press convention. The 27-year-old Cushing (13-0, 10 KOs), of Pensacola, Florida, goals to avenge—or as he put it, “revenge”—an newbie loss to Correa (13-1, 8 KOs), 33, of Miami, Florida. The 2 supplied a historical past lesson throughout Wednesday’s press convention.
“I believe he’s nonetheless mad I whooped his ass within the amateurs,” mentioned Correa confidently. “I suppose they didn’t know that once they took the struggle, they will need to have forgot.”
“You had been handpicked,” Cushing shot again. “He is bought a grown man in entrance of him this time, not a 17-year-old. I get revenge for all my losses and Saturday night time I’m spinning the block round.”
Cushing, who claimed an newbie report of 67-8, dismissed his loss to Correa as an outlier.
“The way in which he appears to be like at me I simply don’t like,” Cushing mentioned. “He’s bought a smart-ass look on his face. I’m going to knock that look proper off his face on Saturday night time.”
Correa responded by asserting that Cushing “will not have any excuses this time when he knocks him out.”
“He’s going to do plenty of operating and attempting to jab to my arms,” Correa mentioned, unimpressed by his opponent. “He’s bought no energy. I’m going to return ahead, put the stress, and make him fold in spherical 4.”
In Cushing’s 13 skilled fights, solely 4 of his opponents had profitable data, none undefeated. Correa, who was knocked out in two rounds by undefeated prospect Elnur Abduraimov in 2022, has fought solely three opponents with profitable data.
“He doesn’t have a chin and his final identify is cushion, as a result of these arms are cushion arms,” Correa taunted.
Cushing selected to chop his remarks quick, saying, “That’s it,” as occasion emcee Brian Campbell famous that Cushing will let his actions converse within the ring.
