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On June 4, 2019 WBA Super Featherweight champion Andrew” El Chango” Cancio (20-4-2 15 KOs) and former champion Alberto Machado (21-1-7 KOs) hosted a media roundtable in anticipation of their 12-round immediate rematch.
The highly-anticipated rematch will take place on June 21, 2019 from the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and stream live on DAZN.
Both fighters come in highly motivated to perform in this contest. Cancio, who has built a particular chip on his shoulder because he feels he is still not given the credit for the victory, with many instead blaming the upset on Machado’s preparation and difficulty making weight.
Cancio believes a fighter must accept his defeats and not make excuses after the fact, when the other man come out on top saying.
“For a lot of people it was a surprise that I beat him, but for me, like I said before coming into the fight, I knew what I was going to do,” said Cancio. “The way the training camp went I was barely starting to get my rhythm. It’s the first time I’ve been active in a while, back-to-back-to-back camps.”
Cancio doesn’t believe that anything will change in the second fight in terms of what Machado can bring to the table.
“This next fight I don’t see anything differently,” said Cancio. “I feel like we’ve gotten stronger and quicker. It still bothers me when they use the weight issue as a reason he got beat up.”
Instead of weight excuses, Cancio feels that his style and will to win should get more credit.
“I think he just went up against a guy that can get hit, get knocked down, and come back to fight even harder,” said Cancio. “I told people he’d never been in the ring with a fighter like me. He was finally in there with somebody who is going to be in there tough and is going to fight toe to toe with him. Leading up to the last fight, he said he had a good camp. We didn’t hear any excuses until after he lost.”
Cancio wants to get out to a quick start in the rematch, hoping to continue the success he had before stopping Machado in the first bout.
“We’re going to jump on him from the start,” said Cancio. “He better be ready. Round 1 is going to be like Round 5 for me. I’m going to jump right on him. I know what I have to do to prevent him from being dangerous.”
Machado on the other hand comes into this bout admitting to his own mistakes (some of which were out of his control) and places the blame solely on his shoulders and aims to rectify the situation and get his title back.
“I don’t talk too much about [arriving to Freddie’s camp two weeks late] because I want to give all the credit to Cancio,” said Machado. “He did his work and won the fight. I had a situation with my family. I have a baby, a one-year-old son. He had surgery in the groin. I had to stay with my wife. I had to tend to my wife. The process of recuperation for a baby is very difficult. It was difficult to come here, and I came here in a condition I had not been used to.”
Some may say that Machado is making excuses for his loss, but the fact is weight could have played an issue in how he felt.
“Two weeks before the fight I was 17 pounds over,” said Machado. “One week before the weigh-in I was 11 pounds over. One day before the weigh-in I was six pounds over. It’s hard for me, but this is part of it. I take full responsibility. My manager, Juan De Leon, is the person working close to my side. He knows what I went through.”
Still having the fresh taste of defeat in his mouth, Machado looks to be 100 percent on fight night and regain his title.
“Regardless, Cancio really did his work in the fight. Now I am getting ready the way I’m supposed to, and I’m extra motivated this time,” said Machado. “This Machado will be different. You will see the real Machado. He will be explosive, quick and smart. He’s coming this June 21.”
Even in defeat, Machado says he has always felt that he can beat Cancio. On June 21 he’ll get his shot to prove it.
“When the fight ended the way it did, I still knew in myself that I could beat him,” said Machado. “When my team in Miguel Cotto Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions called me, I told them I wanted the rematch. I want to make the sacrifice. I’m going to make the weight good. You’re going to see. I’m decided and motivated.”
Watch Cancio vs. Machado 2 live on DAZN on Friday, June 21, 2019.
