Headline Act Conor Quinn ready to shine in the spotlight
Conor Quinn [4(3)-0-1] is determined to make the most of his moment in the spotlight this weekend.
Quinn tops a fight bill for the first time on Saturday night, headlining the first Irish fight card of the new year.
Stepping up to eight rounds for the first time the exciting flyweight is determined to make the most the most added attention and start the year with the kind of bang that will leave his name ringing in fight followers’ ears.
“I’m eager to impress this time because I’ve had two good performances in-a-row there and this is my first time headlined a show,” he said when speaking to the Irish News.
“Mark [Dunlop] has given me this opportunity at an early stage of my career and it’s exciting. It’s something different and I’m looking forward to it and I want to go out and impress and show everybody that I can keep putting up these good performances in every time I fight.”
After a three-year absence from the ring, the Dee Walsh trained latest Belfast ‘wee man’ got three fights in at the tail end of last year, including an outing at the SSE Arena on a Michael Conlan undercard.
He now hopes the relatively rapid-fire approach since he rekindled his career translates into a rapid rise.
“It’s a compliment to even be considered to headline a show at this stage and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do but I thought it would
have come a wee bit later down the line. It’s brilliant because, as things go on and the shows get bigger and the opponents get tougher, you have that experience behind you and it stands by you.
“I always set myself short-term goals and last year I got to fight at the SSE Arena, now I’m headlining and I would love to be on one of the big TV shows in England just to get that experience,” said Quinn.
Topping the bill alongside ‘The Magnificent’ is Steven Maguire [4(2)-33(6)-1], the experienced Liverpool native, who has upsets on his record and gave Dubliner Cian Doyle a go at the same venue last year.
The 24-year-old expects Maguire to come to win and work him, although he warns that will only allow him to look better.
“He’s a tough lad, he comes to win and he’ll give me a good night’s work.
“I want someone who is going to come forward and come at me rather than run away from me. So it gives me the opportunity to land better punches and see better openings.”
