Paul McCloskey will have to travel to Paris to fight former world champion Souleymane M’baye for the vacant European light-welterweight title.

Team McCloskey had been hoping to secure home advantage for their man but the Dungiven native’s manager and trainer, John Breen, insisted that they will have no trouble in taking on M’baye in his own backyard.

“They made us a very, very good offer to go to France but Paul’s one of those guys who has no problems going into the lion’s den,” Breen explained.

“They could fight in M’baye’s front room as far as I’m concerned and Paul would still beat him. I’ve said all along he’s a World Champion in the making and he’ll prove that again that winning a European title on the road.

“Paul beat Colin Lynes in his back yard to win the British title at a week’s notice and his first defence was on the road too against Dean Harrison in Liverpool and he knocked him out so it’s not an issue for him.

“He’s in good shape because we’ve known for a while now that the fight was going to happen in early July but now that the venue and an exact date has been set we have something to focus on.”