Timothy Bradley will be returning to the ring on December 13 after suffering the first loss of his career against Manny Pacquiao when he faces off with Diego Chaves. Bradley spoke to ESPN.com about his return, and touted Chaves as an exciting, fan-friendly fighter.
"I'm excited to get back into the ring and showcase myself," Bradley told ESPN. "Chaves is not that well known but the boxing fans know him. The boxing fans know that this guy can fight and that it won't be a walk in the park for me. I think it's going to be a great fight. I can't wait."
The last time fans saw Chaves in the ring was August 8, when he lost because of a controversial disqualification against Brandon Rios, snapping a two-fight losing streak for "Bam Bam." Chaves had been deducted points for holding and head-butting, and finally was disqualified for using an elbow. Rios also lost a point during the fight for holding. Chaves was ahead on two judges' scorecards when the fight was stopped.
Chaves is known as a power puncher, with 19 of his 23 victories coming by way of knockout. He will provide a test for Bradley's chin, which he proved is sturdy by surviving multiple onslaughts from Ruslan Provodnikov in their 2013 bout.
"I went 24 rounds with Manny Pacquiao, and he never really hurt me. I took Ruslan Provodnikov's best shots [in a decision win], I took Manny Pacquiao's best shots, and I took [Juan Manuel] Marquez's best shots and beat him, too. I know I can take Diego Chaves' best shots. I know I can hang with the best of them."
As far as the Pacquiao loss, Bradley said he won't let his first defeat linger.
"My mindset is I can't sit here and beat myself up over a loss to Manny Pacquiao," Bradley said. "He's one of the greatest fighters of this generation. I can look back and see what I did wrong and say, 'I shoulda done this or I shoulda done that.' But I know I'm a world-class fighter."
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