BOXING: DARCHINYAN PUTS TITLES ON LINE AGAINST ARCE

Agence France Presse
Feb 5 2009
France

ANAHEIM, California (AFP) — Armenian-born Australian Vic Darchinyan
and Mexican challenger Jorge Arce have been warming up for their
super flyweight world title showdown on Saturday with a flurry of
verbal jabs.

Darchinyan will be fighting for the first time since his ninth-round
knockout of Cristian Mijares in November – a bout in which Darchinyan
went into the ring a 6-1 underdog and emerged with the World Boxing
Association, World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation
super-flyweight belts.

Darchinyan became the first fighter to hold all three titles in
the 115-pound class, and the relentless southpaw promised another
explosive effort against Arce.

"I’m not looking to knock him out in the first round. He is a tough
fighter and I know he is here to give me a tough fight – so this
might go a couple rounds," said Darchinyan, who boasts a record of
31-1-1 with 25 wins inside the distance.

"But once I hit him – and before he realizes what hit him – the fight
will be over."

Arce, a two-time world champion himself, says Darchinyan won’t be
able to back up that prediction.

"Darchinyan?s greatest strength is his mouth. His biggest weakness
is his chin," scoffed Arce, who brings a record of 51-4-1 with 39
knockouts. "I hope he stands there and fights for a while so I can
really hurt him."

And Arce, 29, pooh-poohed pre-fight predictions based on the fact
that Darchinyan dominated Mijares – the fighter who handed Arce his
last defeat, by unanimous decision in 2007.

"People think because I lost to Mijares and Darchinyan beat Mijares
that Darchinyan will automatically win our fight," Arce said. "But
that’s not how it works. Styles win fights."