“It’s complicated with Canelo,” Iglesias said. “Canelo would not want to fight me. I would hope that he would give me the fight and allow me to demonstrate that Cuban fighters, and more specifically that Osleys Iglesias, is a different breed.” Iglesias made the comments on DAZN’s “Inside The Ring,” which was also covered by The Ring.
The unbeaten Cuban southpaw recently captured the IBF super middleweight title with an eighth-round stoppage win over Pavel Silyagin. Iglesias (15-0, 14 KOs) has quickly developed a reputation as one of the most dangerous fighters at 168 pounds because of his size, pressure, and knockout power.
A possible future unification fight could become an option if Canelo defeats Christian Mbilli on September 12 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Mbilli was elevated to full WBC champion earlier this year and will make his first defense against the Mexican star.
Iglesias also shared his thoughts on the matchup between Mbilli and Canelo, pointing to the difference in their styles.
“It’s an interesting fight,” Iglesias said. “Mbilli is more combative, and Canelo is more selective, looking for his opponent to make mistakes, and he’s also shifty. It’s an interesting fight. I know Mbilli is hungry, and I know he’s looking to come out on top and take advantage of his opportunity because it’s not something everyone gets the chance to do.”
Canelo will be returning from a lengthy layoff following his loss to Terence Crawford last September.