Being the co-main event to the Mayweather-McGregor fight this August 26 is any boxer’s dream, a huge stage, incredible exposure, the opportunity of a lifetime, some fighters can only dream of it, but that is not the case for Costa Rican Francisco Fonseca, he is just 13 days away from his dream come true, the chance he has been waiting for is here, perhaps not under the best circumstances, but this is his chance, and a gateway to a very different future.

Francisco came to Costa Rica from Nicaragua with his family when he was just a young boy, his family settled in San Ramón, Costa Rica, in a rural area where him and his brothers learned all about agriculture and cattle; when he was older and his family decided to return to Nicaragua, he made a choice to stay in Costa Rica along with his brothers, who were all boxing by then. Being a boxer in Costa Rica is not easy, finding the support is even harder, but he found people who believed in him along the way and helped him in his transition from amateur to professional boxing; he has always had to work to make a living, so he combined his training with construction work, his mind and sight set high.

Little by little, fight after fight he has accumulated 19 professional wins and 1 draw, he is the IBF Inter-Continental Super Featherweight Champion, he was preparing to fight back in July and the fight fell through, but the universe had a different plan, his team got the call for a chance to fight current champion in this division Gervonta Davis, an amazing opportunity, the downside… he had only two weeks to prepare. Fonseca didn’t think twice, he had to take the fight.

The Costa Rica Star spoke to Fonseca as he prepares in Puerto Rico and asked him a few questions:

What went through your mind when they told you about the fight? Did you consider passing on it because of the disadvantage you are facing?
A/ I was thrilled, I couldn’t believe it, I said “yes let’s take it”, I am always ready, I didn’t think this was something I could pass on, it was the opportunity I’ve been dreaming off.

Gervonta Davis has skyrocketed because of his talent and also with a bit of help from Mayweather, he has an impressive KO rate, what do you think of this?
A/ He is a strong puncher, but we’ll have to see how hard he really hits. The fact that he is with Mayweather makes him a favorite in Las Vegas of course, but at the end it will be just him and me in the ring that night. We’ll see what he is made off. Everything that goes up has to come down, that is my job, to bring him down, I’ll give it my all.

Davis is known also for his speed and he has a killer left uppercut and hook, how do you expect to respond to this?
A/ By pressuring him, being careful, I have sparred all my life with a lefty, my brother is a lefty so I am used to this.

Here in Costa Rica, the boxing followers know who Francisco Fonseca is, but this is your first time fighting on such a big stage, what would you like people to see of you?
A/ I want everyone to come out of this fight and that everyone knows who Francisco Fonseca is, I want steal the show and have everyone talking about the fight. I want to demonstrate that in Costa Rica despite the fact that there is not a lot of support there is great talent.

You shared the gym in Costa Rica with Arturo Izquierdo several times, Izquierdo has been helping Davis and Mayweather as a sparring, do you think this is yet another disadvantage the fact that Izquierdo knows your style and he is in the opponent’s camp?
A/ I really don’t care about that, it was a long time ago that we shared the gym and the ring, and I have evolved as a boxer, I am a different opponent today; perhaps he’ll know a bit about me, but I have new tools today.

Many people don’t understand the sport of boxing, they see it as a violent sport, but getting in the ring is not simple, you prepare hard to face an opponent but also you are putting your health at risk, what motivates you? what is your biggest strength?
A/ God, God has given me the strength throughout my whole life and career, He has put the right people on my path, the right opportunities. I still need to win the support of the public, but for now I have everyone I need in my life. Yes, many people think that boxing is violent and even that its not a sport, but many athletes and many jobs require you to risk your health and your life, it’s all on how you prepare,and its about strategy too; for me, nothing compares to the thrill of boxing, the adrenaline, I think boxing is the most beautiful sport of all.

Francisco Fonseca v Gervonta Davis happens August 26, in the co-main event of the #MayweatherMcGregor fight.