Maliek Montgomery wants to prove there is more to his skill-set than just being a puncher or being a sparring partner for some of boxing’s top fighters.

He will need to do so against a former world title challenger.

Montgomery will face late-sub Cesar Juarez Friday night at the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The eight-round junior lightweight bout will precede the main event bout between once-beaten super middleweight Lorenzo Simpson and Raiko Santana.

Both fights will headline an OTX 8 Live card that will stream live on DAZN (8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT).

The 28-year-old (17-0, 16 knockouts), who lives and trains in Las Vegas, Nevada, was scheduled to fight on May 3, but his fight against Eridson Garcia fell through. Manager Trifon Petrov was able to put Montgomery on Friday’s card, and believes he is ready to make a statement at the expense of Juarez.

“Maliek was supposed to fight Ramiro Cesena, who unfortunately pulled out (of the fight),” Petrov told The Ring Tuesday evening. “I want to thank Overtime (Boxing) for doing everything possible to find us a replacement opponent on short notice. 

“We will now face Cesar Juarez, who is a world title challenger and always comes ready to fight. Maliek is hungry to prove he is ready for the biggest names in the division, so I expect him to dominate Juarez and get another knockout win on Friday night.”

Montgomery last fought on June 3 of last year in La Vega, in the Dominican Republic, stopping Kenin Betancourt in the third round. Montgomery’s last three fights have taken place in the Dominican Republic. 

His most notable win took place on a Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) card in September 2021, defeating Aleem Jumakhonov by unanimous decision. Despite having knocked out his last six opponents, Montgomery aims to prove he can outbox his opponents, as well.

“I want to perform to my best, whether it’s outboxing my opponents or by knockout,” Montgomery told The Ring in a recent interview. “I’m not afraid to mix it up. If you’re going to pressure me on the inside, I can intelligently fight and outbox you on the inside. I can walk you down behind a jab. I can utilize different angles, my ring generalship is strong. I can be very intelligent in the ring.”

Montgomery moved from his hometown of Macon, Georgia to Las Vegas, considered one of the premier cities in boxing to get the best sparring. Over the last couple of years, Montgomery was able to spar Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Devin Haney, just to name a few.

After several sparring sessions, Montgomery gained more confidence and realized more of his self worth as a fighter and what he is capable of.

“I sparred ‘Tank’ before his fight against Isaac Cruz and Devin before his rematch with (George) Kambosos,” said Montgomery, who is trained by his father, Maliek, Sr. “Being in the same ring with them and holding my own made me realize I should be further along in the sport. I want to fight on those bigger stages. I want to show the world on Friday what I am and what I’m capable of to fight on those big stages.”

Despite having only fought one 10-round fight and limited opposition, Montgomery believes a statement win over Juarez could put him closer to fighting for a title. 

Despite Juarez being on the back end of his career, he could be a decent measuring stick as to where Montgomery is at this point. Montgomery is confident he can not only win impressively, but is amongst the top fighters at 130 pounds.

“I feel like I’m a contender now,” said Montgomery. “After two or three wins, I believe I can fight for one of those titles. 

“This isn’t a part-time thing for me. I’m all in and I’m dedicated to the sport. I want to fight the best in the division. No one in particular. I can adjust or fight any style put in front of me. 

“I’ve made adjustments and I’m on the right track.”

Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached at [email protected]

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