BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Deontay Wilder isn’t shy when it comes to his ambitions, or anything else for that matter.
The gregarious WBC heavyweight champion makes his first title defense Saturday night against Eric Molina at Bartow Arena on the UAB campus, within an hour of his hometown. Wilder vows it will be far from his last, saying he’s “worked too hard to get where I am, to just defend it one time and give it up.” He’s hoping to ultimately take on Wladimir Klitschko and unify the title.
The Tuscaloosa native won his first 32 fights by knockout within the first four rounds before becoming the first American heavyweight to claim a piece of the title since Shannon Briggs in 2006.
Molina is 23-2 with 17 knockouts and five straight wins .