Headline NewsNews

‘This is the year I make my name’- Connor Coyle ready to start breakout 2020 with UFC Fight Pass win

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is liffey-crane-hire-1.jpg

Connor Coyle is confident 2020 will be his breakout year.

The Derry middleweight has made steady progress since turning over in 2016 and has begun to gather some momentum since teaming up with Roy Jones Jr Promotions.

The 29-year-old now wants to move things up another level and is targeting a world top 10 ranking before the year is out.

Coyle plans to put his name on peoples lips and secure the kind of victories that could set him up for some major fights in 2021.

“We will definitely be making moves in 2020, towards titles to break into the world top 10. I’ve done my time now, gathered enough experience to start making a step up in class now,” Coyle told the Derry Journal.

“This is the year I make my name and stand out in the middleweight division,” he predicts.

Coyle has been handed the perfect chance to get the year off to a positive star.

The St Joseph’s ABC graduate fights this Thursday night live on UFC Fight Pass Card and can gain some early momentum with victory over Mexican Miguel Dumas [11(8)-2(1)] Legends Casino, Toppenish.

The Mexican looks dangerous on paper and his eight knockout wins have alerted Team Coyle.

However the Derry man is feeling confident in his hands and thus his power and is looking to build on an impressive knockout win over Rafael Ramon Ramirez last time out.

“My opponent seems to have power,” he continued. “But I know I punch harder and I have a better skill set. We take no one for granted, as anything can happen in boxing, so we treat each fight like a world title!

“I’m confident in my own hands and I’m not holding back with my punches any longer. So I’m starting to feel my power progress in sparring and training with that,” he adds before confidently prediction victory.

“I’ve put in a lot of work for this fight, and I’m excited to get back into the ring again.

“I’ve had a full camp at home with Cahir Duffy (St Joseph’s ABC) and he’s got me into phenomenal shape, even over the Christmas holidays, so I’m confident that my fitness levels are through the roof.”

dpg

Jonny Stapleton

Irish-boxing.com contributor for 15 years and editor for the past decade. Have been covering boxing for over 16 years and writing about sports for a living for over 20 years. Former Assistant Sports editor for the Gazette News Paper Group and former Tallaght Voice Sports Editor. Have had work published in publications around the world when working as a freelance journalist. Also co-founder of Junior Sports Media and Leinster Rugby PRO of the Year winner. email: editoririshboxing@gmail.com

x