Michael Zerafa is vowing to follow in the footsteps of George Kambosos and land a boxing world title in Melbourne after his emphatic win over Issac Hardman.
With unified world champion Gennady Golovkin set to move up a division Zerafa will become the world No.2 IBF middleweight contender after his second-round stoppage in Melbourne on Wednesday night.
He said the IBF world title fight against No.1 Brazilian Esquiva Falcao will be on home turf just like Kambosos, who already owns three belts and will fight American Devin Haney for the undisputed lightweight championship on June 5 at Marvel Stadium.
Melbourne-based Zerafa and Kambosos, from Sydney, are long-time friends and Zerafa said he was excited to have a similar opportunity.
"Me and Georgie, we talk and we're good mates and you know, for him to put Australian boxing back on the map, I'm super proud," Zerafa told AAP.
"He's come from a hard upbringing like myself and he put it all on the line and shined, so I'm super happy for him and a Marvel Stadium fight will be epic.
"And I could be the second person bringing home a world title in Melbourne - how good."
Zerafa's win over Queenslander Hardman helped restore some respect to his image that was battered following his late withdrawal last year from his much-hyped fight with Tim Tszyu.
At the time Zerafa said it was due to COVID-19-related travel concerns with his team.
The 30-year-old said he was motivated by the "haters" to crush Hardman, who he may meet again with a rematch clause in their deal.
He called out Tszyu, who last month took the scalp of Terrell Gausha as he hunts his own world title in the US.
"Timmy Tszyu; we've got a world title shot next," Zerafa said.
"There's a fight there, we never backed out of that fight ... we had Issac Hardman in front of us and took care of him and what's Timmy doing?"
'Pretty Boy' Zerafa, whose record is now 30-4, had hardly fought since his epic loss to Jeff Horn in Brisbane in late 2019.
He had first round TKO with Anthony Mundine, who was in his corner on Wednesday night, while his fight last year against Fijian Siliveni Nawai was stopped in the fourth round.
He and Hardman engaged in a spiteful build-up and even traded blows at the weigh-in but Zerafa said he took lessons from the Horn fight.
"I did the same thing with the Horn fight and got ahead of myself and thought I was the best and he brought me back down to reality," Zerafa said.
"Credit to Issac, he's a warrior, but I backed my skills."
