In preparation for the fight with GGG the Ukrainian took advantage of the help of the other ward of his trainer Andre Rozier, the Puerto Rican Edgar Berlanga (12-0, 12 KOs), the middleweight prospect. Berlanga in a recent interview said that he was impressed with the boxing skills of Derevyanchenko.
"Sparring with Sergei had been an honor and a great experience for me. I am convinced that he will be able to shock the world in his fight against GGG. I really got a lot of things from sparring with him and a lot of confidence. He has incredibly good skills. I understand why people think that he can beat Golovkin on 5 October. He is a complete fighter", Berlanga said.