Dominic Valle is looking to continue climbing the junior-lightweight rankings, and hopes that Wednesday night will bring his transition from prospect to contender.
Valle is to fight Kevin Piedrahita on Wednesday Night Fights at the ProBox TV Events Center in Plant City, Florida.
The 23-year-old (9-0, 7 KOs) will be fighting in his second scheduled eight-round bout – a step that reflects his growing confidence and ambition. Early in his career Valle is determined to move beyond the undercard, establish himself in his weight division, and become a main-event fighter. He knows that experience and time – challenges all fighters face – are the only things standing in his way as he attempts to realise his potential.
“I’m still in the building phase – gaining professional-level experience,” Valle said. “After this fight we’re going to be looking at bigger opponents.”
At a lengthy 5′ 11″ Valle isn’t a typical junior lightweight, but he credits his discipline and strong support team for helping him make weight. “I’m a big guy, so it’s really just about discipline and following everything by the book,” he said. “The weight cut gets hard the last day or two, but I feel stronger as the fight gets closer.”
The Florida native is hungry for recognition and eager to be counted among the world’s top young fighters. He therefore hopes his performance will push him closer to achieving that recognition.
“At this point, I just want to be recognized for the fighter that I am,” he said. “I dominate every time I go out there, and it’s very rare to find guys who can match what I do.”
Training alongside Edgar Berlanga, who is preparing for a September 14 pay-per-view showdown against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, has heightened Valle’s motivation. Watching Berlanga prepare for a life-changing fight has made his own dreams feel more attainable.
“It’s crazy to be training next to someone preparing for such a huge fight,” Valle said. “You start thinking about how you’d act and perform when you’re in that position.”
Valle remains confident in his abilities and future in the sport. His opponent Piedrahita (9-2, 8 KOs) is a veteran puncher coming off of a majority decision loss to Eric Mondragon in June. Valle believes his rounded skill set will carry him to victory.
“I have everything – size, IQ, strength, speed, conditioning,” he said. “I’m not even close to my peak yet. I’m just excited for what the future holds.”