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Rose confident of upsetting Andrade

Brian Rose beat Javier Maciel in his last fight © Getty Images

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Junior middleweight Brian Rose will be looking for the upset when he challenges titleholder Demetrius Andrade on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The fight, the co-feature of the card headlined by junior welterweight titlist Ruslan Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KOs) making his first defense against Chris Algieri (19-0, 8 KOs), will be Rose's first outside the United Kingdom. Andrade is Rose's most technically gifted opponent yet.

"Out of all of them, Andrade is the weakest of the world champions at light middleweight - but he is a world champion," Rose said. "I have a chance in this fight, and I haven't come over here to get beat and just make up the numbers. I'm here to take the chance that I have earned, and I am positive that I am going to come home with a world title. I am going to enjoy the experience, of course - how could I not? I am fighting in New York for a world title. This is the big time; it's an amazing venue and I've never boxed somewhere as brilliant as this.

"But I am here to do a job. I've been out here for a while and I have not put any pressure on myself. People don't expect me to win and I don't care about that. This is a tough task. I'm under no illusions. I'm a realist, but I believe in myself and I have a team behind me that know I am capable of winning this, so it's not a case of proving doubters wrong but proving those people that have believed in me from the start right.

"Every boxer always says it's the best camp they have ever had, and it's true for me. I'm injury-free, I've sacrificed more than ever, and I cannot be any fitter or more tactically prepared for this fight. I've done everything right."

Andrade (20-0, 13 KOs), a 2008 US Olympian and 2007 world amateur champion, survived a first-round knockdown and won the vacant belt by decision in November against previously undefeated Vanes Martirosyan. Andrade has predicted that he will knock Rose out, which Rose has scoffed at.

"He's building the fight up, and it's been tongue in cheek, but I haven't got involved," Rose said. "He's put himself on a pedestal and saying that he's going to knock me out, and we'll see how good he is and if he can handle the pressure. I don't think he is as good as he makes out."

This article first appeared on ESPN.com

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