Sergey Lipinets isn’t always mentioned when the top welterweights are discussed but he’s on their heels.
The former junior welterweight titleholder moved up to from junior welterweight to welterweight after losing his 140-pound title to Mikey Garcia in 2018 and has won three consecutive fights, including knockouts of Lamont Peterson and Jayar Inson last year.
Next up is Kudratillo Abdukakhorov for what is being billed as the IBF interim title fight on Oct. 24 in Uncasville, Conn. If he wins, he’ll be in line to face the winner of the Dec. 5 Errol Spence Jr.-Danny Garcia fight.
Lipinets (16-1, 12 KOs) credits trainer Joe Goossen, with whom he began to work after the Garcia setback.
“My progression is totally attributed to working with Joe Goossen,” he said. “It’s like going from a high school education, then to college, and now I feel like I’m in graduate school. I’ve learned more with Joe than in all my previous time in the sport.
“Joe Goossen has taught me a lot about the short game and working on the inside. He’s also helped me with my lateral movement and made me way more durable. That’s all combined with my power increasing at 147 pounds. I’m ready to show all of it on October 24.”
The Los Angeles-based Kazakhstani said his focus is on Abdukakhorov, not the winner of Spence-Garcia or anyone else.
“I don’t really think about the other top welterweight fighters like Errol Spence Jr., Manny Pacquiao, Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter or Terence Crawford,” he said. “In order to get to them, I have to win on October 24. Then everything else will fall into place.
“The top guys will fight me when they have to. That’s been the story of my career. Nobody has fought me because they wanted to, but usually because they had to.”
Abdukakhorov (17-0, 9 KOs) is coming off the biggest victory of his career, a technical decision over veteran Luis Collazo in October of last year. The Uzbek is ranked No. 1 by the IBF, Lipinets No. 3.
“Nobody is at the top of the IBF rankings for nothing,” Lipinets said. “Abdukakhorov had a successful amateur career with a lot of fights. He moves fast and knows his way around the ring. I know he’s tough, strong and he’ll do his best to stay in there with me.
“But I’m going to box him, fight at a distance if I have to, and pile up points against him. I expect a great fight. I’ll have a plan for whatever he brings to the table and get the win however I have to.”
The fight, which will be televised on Showtime, was moved from Oct. 10 to Oct. 24. Lipinets said the change has not been a problem for him.
“I took the change in date like a champion, and I’ll do the same thing on October 24 that I would have done on October 10,” he said. “I’m very strong mentally, so there’s really no issue with the timing change.
“Training camp has been going great, and I’m 100% ready for this one. I’ve been working with Joe Goossen and sparring with a lot of great fighters, including Rashidi Ellis and Ronald Cruz.”