Foreman Sets Sights On World Title
Israeli boxer Yuri Foreman has told TJ how he'll be realising a 'childhood dream' when he takes on Daniel Santos for the WBA light middleweight crown.
And if that wasn't enough to contend with, when he steps into the ring at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the 29-year-old will also be looking to make sporting history by becoming the first Israeli to win a World boxing title.
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Fighting on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto ensures he'll get a big draw, though amidst all the hype and pressure, he remains calm and in control of his emotions, and is just looking forward to the fight. "Leading up to the fight, I feel good, excited and anxious," he says. "I've had great preparation for this fight, a great training camp and ever since I stepped into the boxing ring, I've been training for this."
Having respect for his opponent, he says: "He is a southpaw, a great fighter and he is a world champion but I mainly concentrate on my own game and don't pay too much attention to his. I'm confident in my own ability and believe that can get me through the fight."
Fellow Brooklyn-based fighter Dmitriy Salita has been grabbing the headlines of late, and although they train in different gyms, do speak regularly to each other. Like Salita, Foreman is also deeply religious, perhaps even more so with Foreman as when he's not training for a fight, he's training to be a rabbi. "I'm able to balance both my fighting and my studies to become a rabbi," he says. "There are times when I'm more focussed on my studies, and times when I focus on my preparation on my next fight. My studies also help sharpen my mind; help me to channel my emotions to be in the moment."
His first shot at a world title will see him enter the ring in his trademark Star of David shorts - which he's worn since his first professional fight - hoping to achieve a memorable evening.
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