Robin Safar admits his win over Yamil Peralta was far from his best night, but the unbeaten cruiserweight believes it may still help him land the bigger fights he wants.
Safar was dropped for the first time in his career on May 22 before battling back to win a close decision. The victory kept him highly ranked at 200lbs, where he now sits near title contention with several sanctioning bodies.
“It was not my best performance, but I got the victory, it’s all that matters,” Safar said. “I won basically on will and determination. That was it, not skills.”
The Las Vegas-based Swede called it his worst performance as an amateur or pro, but still sees a possible upside. If other cruiserweights now believe he is vulnerable, he is happy to use that as bait. “Everybody’s gonna think, ‘Yo, if that dude dropped him, then I can drop him,’” Safar said. “It could also be a blessing in disguise.”
Safar wants to return in September and is targeting the biggest names in the division. He mentioned Jai Opetaia, David Benavidez, Noel Mikaelian, Chris Billam-Smith and Ryan Rozicki as the kind of fighters he wants next - either for a title or because they bring a name.
Rozicki is a fight that clearly still interests him. Safar says they had nearly agreed to meet before Rozicki signed with Zuffa and faced Billam-Smith instead. Now, after watching their war in Bournemouth, Safar wants both men even more.
“I would love to fight Chris Billam-Smith. I would love to fight Ryan Rozicki, too,” Safar said. “It’s just got to be a name or it’s got to be a title.”
Image Credit: Golden Boy