Conceicao vs. Foster 2 Preview
The Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York will host a dynamic title fight on Saturday, November 2nd. Robson Conceicao will battle O’Shaquie Foster in a rematch for the WBC junior lightweight title. Conceicao took the belt from Foster in July in a controversial split decision win.
Foster out-landed Conceicao in the last fight 109 to 76 and when the judges scorecards were read in favor of Conceicao, nearly everyone in attendance was as shocked as Foster. While Foster was not as active having been out thrown in the contest, there was not a moment where it looked like Conceicao had control of the fight.
The former champion talked about the split decision loss. "I don't know if it was grief but I was so mad that I wanted to [immediately] get it back," Foster said. "I wanted to know why. I ain't going to lie, I was so mad, bro. I was so mad. I think after a couple days to a week, I started getting so much love from it that it actually made me way more popular after than before. It started to turn around and I started to look at it more in a positive way."
Forster has used the loss to correct the holes in his game. "I know it pushed me to another level," Foster said. "It pushed me to a new level of wanting to just show everything I can do. I could fight one style in these fights and I will win these fights. So it's a, 'if it ain't broke then don't fix it' type thing. Now, it turned me to another level where I can show the world everything. I am trying to maximize my talents.
"We are going to be more active. I'm looking to come in and put on a show."
Despite thinking he won the fight, Foster does believe Conceicao will be a tougher fight this time around. "I think [Conceicao] is a durable, tough fighter that you have to take his will," Foster said. "He's not just going to give it up. He's that kind of guy. But I also think you can take it, you just have to bring it to him. I respect him as a fighter. He is going to come to fight and probably will try to do something different but, either way, I'll be prepared for it.”
He concluded, "I'm just looking to prove everybody wrong and get my revenge. The way I feel about it is that I got the short end of the stick a lot and I like to prove people wrong. It's just my mindset, I'm free and I want to get busy. I've been visualizing it everyday and every night, when I wake up and all day, everyday. I just can't wait."
Foster won the vacant title with a dominant performance against Rey Vargas in 2023. He then defended the belt twice in two hard-fought battles against Eduardo Hernandez and Abraham Nova. The victories put the rest of the division on notice that Foster was a problem champion. He can return to that status with a convincing win over Conceicao on Saturday.
Conceicao is 3-2-2 in his last seven fights but the biggest highlight of his career came in his last fight where he stole the title from Foster. The newly crowned champion had plenty to say about taking the title from Foster despite what his critics may think of it.
“This fight is personal for me because I feel that a champion is a fighter who goes out there and doesn’t run around, who looks for the fight, who tries to win, and doesn’t just throw one or two punches and then moves away,” said Conceicao.
The Brazilian continued, “This time around, I have no doubt in my mind that I will do a better job and represent Brazil better,” said Conceicao. “I didn’t feel much power. He has good defense and a good jab; he’s very technical but not very powerful.”
“Foster’s defense is complicated and challenging. If he’s saying he’s going to come and strike more, that’s what I’m expecting. If that’s the case, it’s going to be way more interesting. That was the fight that I had prepared myself for the first time around.”
The 36-year-old concluded by saying, “If he does that the second time around, great,” said Conceicao. “That’s what I would like to see as well because it would be a way more interesting fight and better for the public. I’m ready. Let’s see if he does it this time around. I’m ready. “I feel this fight will be harder and way more competitive, and that’s what I feel.”
The former Olympic gold medalist believes he is fully prepared to defend his title. “I had a really good camp [this time] but for the first fight I didn’t,” Conceicao said. “I had a lot of pain, I had a sickness but this time I’ve been healthy, it’s been clean. I’m going to win in better fashion next time.”
Foster responded, “I’m glad he had the best camp, we did too. Everyone goes in with injuries and sickness, so I don’t want to hear that excuse.”
Both fighters have something to prove. Foster wants to remind the division why he should still be champion and Conceicao needs to prove that he wasn’t given a gift by the judges in the last fight. Foster has the pressure of needing a dominant performance whereas Conceicao for the time being can rest on the fact that Foster will need to do more than he did in the last fight to win.
