Chukhadzhian Reveals Sparring Partners Before Scarff

Ukrainian welterweight (up to 66.7 kg) and Ready To Fight ambassador Karen Chukhadzhian revealed in an exclusive interview with RTFight who is helping him prepare for the fight against Briton Scarff.

– I first saw Scarff in action last November when he upset fellow countryman Ekow Essuman. Personally, I was impressed by that victory. I can't remember the last time I saw such a performance. When a fighter loses the start of the fight without a chance. But he persistently starts seeking, imposing his game on the opponent. He seemed to try everything. He boxed as the aggressor, boxed off the back foot. He fought in close quarters and at a distance. He fought purely as a boxer, fought as a slugger. He even switched stances.

I thought that to prepare for such a strange "beast," you'd need at least a dozen sparring partners with completely different styles. But where to find them in Kyiv in wartime conditions? How are you handling this? I know the Korenev brothers are helping. Anyone else, or just them?

– By now, only one Korenev is helping, Kostik. Another sparring partner is Artem Lim. And there's another one from amateur boxing. They're all versatile. They switch every 2 rounds. They all box very differently. This is so that I'm ready for changes in the tactical pattern of the fight.

With one, you need to box a bit more aggressively, with the second it's better to work off the back foot, and with the third, something else entirely.

We've approached this very responsibly. We'll be tactically well-prepared. The coach (Vyacheslav Senchenko) re-watches Scarff's fights every day: studying, noticing something new, writing it down. Then we work on those moments.

The Chukhadzhian vs. Scarff fight will take place on May 17th in Germany for the IBF world title contender spot.

Read the full interview with Karen Chukhadzhian on Ready To Fight soon.