BUZZ Dereli calls title fight with Sivák 'very easy'; Sivák says he is the next Allazov

A title challenge came out of RFA 34 before the champion had left the building. Asked by journalists how he would handle Václav Sivák, Maxim Dereli did not hedge. "I came here to take my belt. How will I beat Sivák? I think it will be very easy," he said.

Dereli has earned some right to the confidence. The Moldovan fighter is unbeaten, and in Žilina he added Cezary Zugaj to earlier wins over Jakob Mikula and Leo Grutko. Those were three straight victories over experienced stand-up fighters, which is why a title shot was the obvious next question.

Sivák, who had just defended his Real Fight 70kg title in the main event, has heard this before. He answered that everybody says the same, but that Dereli is not Chingiz Allazov, the kickboxer Sivák pointed to as a benchmark, and that he himself is the next one. He also called Dereli too young to talk to him that way and told him to show respect. Sivák is 27 and is known for his own self-belief, so the exchange suited both men.

Nothing is booked between them. Talk of a Sivák vs. Dereli fight has started, but Sivák has a trilogy bout first: he meets Patrik Záděra for a third time at RFA 35 at Královka in Prague on Nov. 27.

That fight changes the picture. Sivák has to get through Záděra before any title defense against Dereli can be discussed, and Dereli has no scheduled opponent in the material so far. Watch for RFA to name Dereli's next bout or for either fighter to push the matchup again after the Prague card.