New Zealand boxers Joseph Parker and Junior Fa are dismissing concerns about their health and fitness ahead of their heavyweight clash.
Photo: Photosport Ltd 2020
Originally scheduled for 12 December in Auckland, the fight had been postponed until 27 February after Fa needed surgery for an undisclosed medical issue.
In addition to that, Parker revealed on Tuesday he had undergone surgery on both elbows for the second time earlier this month.
While admitting he was still recovering from the procedures, the former WBO world champion was adamant he had made a good decision.
"They should have taken me on [on the original date] because I was training with injuries," Parker said.
"By February 27 I'm gonna be way better. Stronger, faster, no injuries and no problems."
Parker first had both elbows operated on in the lead-up to his fight with Anthony Joshua in early 2018, when the Brit handed the Kiwi his first professional loss and relieved him of his WBO title.
Parker said the second surgeries were the same, undertaken to remove bone fragments.
"The first surgery was very successful but over time with everything we're doing - throwing a lot of punches, doing a lot of weights, more bone keeps growing. It's not easy to train with injuries and pain.
"With sparring there was a lot of inflammation, swelling but with the surgery that I had it will be all cleared. I'm not able to punch yet - I'll probably be able to punch in the first week of January when we start camp."
Joseph Parker is used to the attention while training Photo: Photosport
Fa's fitness for the fight was also the subject of further inquisition on Tuesday.
His latest issue came after the WBO's sixth-ranked contender battled fatigue problems three years ago related to a blood disorder.
The issue on this occasion was discovered after blood tests, although Fa's manager Mark Keddell said it was a different problem to the one he had gone through previously.
Fa didn't want to reveal the nature of the issue due to its personal nature, but said the surgery had been very successful and he would soon be full steam ahead towards the fight.
"I'm going to be very healthy and very fit for this fight.
"In the past couple weeks that I've been recovering, I just feel better in comparison to what I was leading up to the past date.
"I can't wait to get back into the gym for full training so I can actually put this feeling into actual test mode."
The enforced delay also had additional upside for Fa.
The postponement meant UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and UFC newcomer Carlos Ulberg, who were almost set to leave managed isolation, would be able to help their teammate's preparations to fight Parker.
City Kickboxing trainer Eugene Bareman said both Adesanya and Ulberg would be there for Fa's full camp.
"As Joseph and our team know good sparring partners in this country are at a premium so the teams were searching for the same guys for a little while.
"Israel has a scheduled fight and we will fly out to America the day after Junior's fight. That puts them doing their camps simultaneously which is going to be massive for Junior and Israel. A lot of the other UFC guys who will be one the same card will be in that same camp too.
"You've got to witness it but when those guys are pushing each other, pumping the bikes and sparring together I've never seen anything like that in any gym around the world it's something special."