"There are a lot of mistakes that I made. I made this fight a lot harder than I was supposed to. I want to fix those errors and I'll start that process next week...They line them up and I will fight them. I'm not a loudmouth fighter. I'm just a fighter that whoever my team tells me, I'm fighting. I get ready and I fight. That's just been me all of my career and it's basically the same way. I know now I've opened a lot of eyes," stated super featherweight contender Frank De Alba, who talked about his latest win over Ryan Kielczweski, his future plans, and more. Check it out!
PC: You won your fight against Ryan Kielczweski. Congrats on the win. It was a very close and competitive fight. How do you feel about the fight and the way that it played out?
FDA: I mean, like you said, it was a good, competitive, close fight. I knew it was going to be a tough fight. I trained for 8 hard rounds and that's what made the difference I believe. He started off faster, but he started slowing down in the middle rounds and that's when I started taking over. I thought it would go that way and that's the way it went. I'm happy it went that way.
PC: At some point during the fight, both of you guys were getting some great things done in there. Was there anything about him that surprised you during the course of this fight?
FDA: Not really! He caught me with a couple of straight rights in the beginning of the fight. I think it was like the 2nd round. I don't know, I'm just a fighter that is supposed to be fighting 10 and 12 rounders already. I don't start warming up until after the 3rd or 4th round. Once he hit me with those shots, I knew I had to wake up because it was only an 8-round fight, so I had to step it up.
PC: You felt like it would be a war of attrition. Headed into those late rounds, did you sense the fight was close or did you feel like you had pulled away during those middle rounds? How were you scoring it in your head?
FDA: I knew for a fact that I had to get those last 2 rounds. I even told my corner that I was going to give it my all in these last 2 rounds. But he actually made it easier for me because he took off those 2 rounds. He made it easier for me, but I knew I had to give it my all. I told everybody this, a lot of people say that I had the advantage, but he had the advantage because he's the signed fighter. He's the one signed with Al Haymon; I'm not signed to Al Haymon. I'm not signed to nobody. He's signed with Al Haymon and promoted by Lou DiBella and I was just on the card because it was my hometown and I bring in fans basically. I knew I had to make an impression in the judges' eyes.
PC: I spoke with Ryan and he said it was actually a body shot that you hit him with that made him shut it down the last 2 rounds because he didn't fully recover from it. Did you realize that during the course of the fight?
FDA: Yes, I did, man! I hit him with that body shot, but his experience showed. I knew he was hurt, but he didn't show me his hand. He would feint a counter like he was going to do something, so I didn't want to go in there and try to take him out of there. But I did notice that I hit him with that good straight left to the body and he didn't throw after that.
PC: How long will you take off of the gym before you get back to it. You're already back at your 9-5; how long before you're back in the gym?
FDA: I'm going to take off. I went earlier just to see my young bull spar. But I'll be back in the gym on Monday. Like I said, I learn from every fight because I got into the sport late, so I'm learning. I'm going to go in there and work on the things that I did wrong. There are a lot of mistakes that I made. I made this fight a lot harder than I was supposed to. I want to fix those errors and I'll start that process next week.
PC: When you work a 9-5 and you are a full-time fighter, does that become a difficult juggling act or is it second nature at this point and just part of your routine?
FDA: I mean, in the beginning it was a little bit tiring, but I've learned how to juggle everything and put it into place. I know what time I should go to run, what time I can go to the gym after work, and when I can do my strength and conditioning; that way, I won't be as tired. I've learned that over the years. A lot of people would be surprised that I work a full-time job.
PC: You said before the fight that this was a fight to remain relevant in the 130-pound division. You walked away with the victory. What would you like to do from here?
FDA: I've never been a loudmouth. They line them up and I will fight them. I'm not a loudmouth fighter. I'm just a fighter that whoever my team tells me, I'm fighting. I get ready and I fight. That's just been me all of my career and it's basically the same way. I know now I've opened a lot of eyes because this is my second televised fight, but this was my first victory on the national stage, so I know I'm opening a lot of eyes. I know there is going to be a lot of fighters that is going to want to fight me because they think they can beat me. I'll be ready and I'm going back to the gym so they don't catch me off guard.
PC: How many more times would you like to go this year?
FDA: Ah man, if I can go at least twice, I'll be happy (laughing). It would be great to close out with 4 fights, but like I said, I don't want no more 8-round fights. I can't jeopardize a fight like that. If this fight would have been a 10-round fight, no disrespect to Ryan because he's a great fighter, but I think I could have done more damage in a 10-round fight because he was done.
PC: Do you have any idea why you're such a late starter, because you are conscious of it, just doesn't seem like you know why, therefore you can't correct it?
FDA: They asked me the same thing that night. I don't know why. I don't know if it's my lack of experience because I don't have that much amateur experience, but I gotta get them jitters out of me. Once I get them jitters out of me and I tasted his power a little bit and I get my rhythm, that's when I start warming up. I don't know why that is. I don't know why I created that pattern, but it's always been like that.
PC: Congratulations again on the win. I look forward to seeing you back in there soon. Is there anything else before I let you go?
FDA: Thank you. I appreciate everything, man!
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]