Photos: Dmitry Mikhaylenko, Karim Mayfield Go Face To Face

Dmitry "The Mechanic" Mikhaylenko

"I would like to welcome everybody here. I want to thank HBO and Main Events for this opportunity. I like it here in Canada. It is my second time fighting here. It was just a year ago when I was here in the back row for this press conference and now I am in the front row. I thank Karim Mayfield for taking this fight on the short notice. Now my dream has come true and I am fighting on HBO. I don't like to talk much before the bout. I am 100% ready and I want to give the best show to our fans. The victory goes to the strongest guy." Photo Credits: Vincent Ethier/Interbox

Karim "Hard Hitta" Mayfield

"I am happy to be able to have this opportunity. It was short notice but as a professional you have to be prepared for these types of opportunities. I am always ready. I have a lot of power and speed. I am ready to win this [USBA Welterweight] Title on January 30. After this fight, the winner, which will be me, will have better opportunities available to them after this fight. January 30 I look forward to capitalizing on his punch count."

Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events

"Today 33 years ago, my husband was discussing Roberto Duran with the doctor as I was giving birth to my beautiful daughter, Nicole. I am immensely proud of her. Happy Birthday, Nicole. It is a pleasure to work with Interbox again. Our staffs work very well together. Tomorrow night we get on opposite sides but everything leading up to that point has been a pleasure. Tune in at 9:45 PM on HBO. Making his first appearance on HBO will be Dmitry Mikhaylenko against Karim Mayfield in 10 rounds for the USBA Welterweight Title. He told us yesterday his hobbies are women and beer, so I know he will be loved by the fans here in Canada. I want to thank our Russian Sponsors Rosneft and Myakhov Vodka. They provide good solid support for us. This is our first time with Rosneft; we want to welcome them. We have a wonderful event for you on Saturday. I love coming to Quebec. They are people who take boxing seriously as a major sport. Thank you for having me again. Thank you to Pierre and Jean Bedard and the team from Interbox. Be there at 6:30. The fans here in Canada are in for a treat with our two great fighters Cassius Chaney and Virgilijus Stapulionis."

Pierre Duc, Vice President of Interbox

"Once again it has been a tremendous pleasure to work with Main Events. We have learned to work together as a team and it is just getting better. We are competitors once our guys get in the ring, but during the planning we have been a team. Thank you so much and do not miss the gala on Saturday."

Egis Klimas, Manager of Mikhaylenko

"Thank you. I don't have to tell how happy we are to be here. Feels like we are at home. We like it here. Want to thank HBO for giving us this opportunity. They are wonderful people. I want to thank Team Mayfield. At one point, several years ago, me and Karim were in LA were talking about possibly working together. Ultimately it didn't work out, but I know he is a good warrior. I have nothing negative to say about him. He is a really good fighter. He has speed in his hands. Dmitry has speed and a lot of punches. It is going to be a tremendous fight. I can't predict a victory. It is going to be a really good competition. Also fighting on Saturday is Virgilis Stapulionis, who is my countryman, he is going to be on the undercard. I represent him too."

Greg Cohen, Promoter of Mayfield

"It is really terrific to be here. I want to thank Kathy and Main Events. We have worked together many times. They are always a pleasure to work with. When Ray Robinson dropped out, I called Jolene [Mizzone, Main Events' matchmaker] because I thought Karim would make a great replacement. I hadn't even mentioned it to Karim. When Jolene said she thought we could make this fight happen, I called Karim and he didn't even hesitate. He is in fighting shape 365 days a year. That is what you want as a promoter. That is what you want from your fighters and you seldom get it. Come Saturday night Karim Mayfield will be 100% and I firmly believe he will come out of the ring wearing the USBA belt."

Joel Diaz

"I want to thank everybody for coming out here. I want to thank my team, Chris Byrd former heavyweight champion. I want to thank everybody at Main Events and Jean Pascal for putting me on the card. I want to thank Abraham Gomez for taking the fight. You have to have a pair of balls to get in the ring. 2016 is going to be a hell of a year for us."

About January 30

The grudge match for the unified light heavyweight world championship between Sergey Kovalev and Jean Pascal, a Vidéotron presentation in collaboration with Mise-O-Jeu, will be televised live in the United States on HBO beginning 9:45pm ET/PT. The HBO telecast will open with a ten-round match-up between Dmitry Mikhaylenko and Karim Mayfield for the vacant USBA Welterweight Title. In Canada the event will be available on pay-per-view TV, please consult with your local cable provider. The card is promoted by Main Events and InterBox in association with German Titov Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions. Tickets are on sale on at www.evenko.ca, at Centre Bell box office and at Club de boxe Champions in Montreal.

About Main Events

Main Events was founded in 1978 by the late Dan Duva and is now run by his widow Kathy Duva. As one of the top promotional companies in the world, Main Events has promoted boxing legends Evander Holyfield, Arturo Gatti, Lennox Lewis, Pernell Whitaker and many more. Currently, Main Events promotes WBO, IBF and WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev. Main Events is committed to promoting quality fights that boxing fans want to see.

About InterBox

InterBox, founded in Québec in 1997, and acquired by Groupe Sportscene in 2004, is a boxing organization that is recognized and respected throughout the Quebec province and the world. Its goal is to promote professional boxing, locally and internationally, with talented boxers who are supervised by top-notch trainers and have access to a cutting-edge support staff. InterBox regularly promotes and presents first-rate events in cooperation with such major corporate sponsors as Vidéotron, La Cage - Brasserie sportive and Coors Light.