Brandon Rios: 'Tim Bradley is going to be my ticket back to the top'

Brandon Rios knows how he is going to approach his Nov. 7 WBO welterweight title fight on HBO against Timothy Bradley.

He knows because it's how he approaches every fight. Nicknamed "Bam Bam", Rios is a puncher who puts pressure on his opponents from the opening bell, and keeps up that pressure until it's over. And may the best man win.

"My style is always like that," Rios told Paste BN. "Tim might try to box, but once he feels the pressure stuff, he's going to turn to the fighter like he is and come out and fight."

During his workout for the media on Tuesday, Rios (33-2-1, 24 KOs) and his trainer Robert Garcia talked about what it will take to beat Bradley (32-1-1, 12 KOs), who can box and fight equally well, though he does not have the kind of power Rios packs, which is indicated by their knockout percentages.

"The way to beat Tim Bradley is to put on pressure in the fight and try to knock him out," Garcia said. "We plan to cut off the ring and turn this into a real fight. We are not concerned with his change in a chief trainer (to Teddy Atlas) because Bradley always comes in top condition and is ready to fight. Joel Diaz (his former trainer) did a good job with Bradley."

Rios says he will be as ready for Bradley as he knows Bradley will be ready for him.

"We are ready for the Tim Bradley . . . who beat Juan Manuel Marquez," Rios said. "I have been in camp in Riverside, Calif. for three months. This is the Camp Zone. We brought in three kinds of sparring partners - a boxer, a brawler and a boxer-brawler. I want to get back on top in boxing. Bradley is in my way. Bradley is going to be my ticket back to the top."

Rios' manager, Cameron Dunkin, liked what he saw during the workout.

"Brandon looks sensational - strong, in shape, ready to fight now," he said. "He's a real fighter."