“MAGIC” MIKE PLANIA fights Ra’eese Aleem on Monday [Sunday in the US] at the Cypto.com Arena in Los Angeles hoping to turn the American champion into his stepping stone for big time fights in the US.
Seven years younger at 25, the General Santos City native Plania—winner of 26 fights 13 of them by knockout with one loss—tries to halt his opponent’s unbeaten run at 19 bouts—13 by knockout.
Plania knows he’s up against a tough Aleem, who owns the interim World Boxing Organization and World Boxing Association and North American Boxing Organization super bantamweight belts.
“I’m ready and I trained hard for this bout,” Plania told Business on Sunday after the fighters’ formal weigh-in. “I will win tomorrow and prove that I’m ready for big time fights.”
The fight was originally scheduled last June 18 in Houston, Texas, but was postponed after the main event between World Boxing Council middleweight champion Jermall Charlo and Poles Maciej Sulecki was postponed.
Plania believes that a victory will lead to a potential world title fight.
“This fight will lead him to a world title shot,” Sanman Promotions head JC Mananquil said.
The Plania-Aleem bout is one of the undercards of the Andy Ruiz-Luis Ortiz heavyweight main event on a Labor Day weekend.