McCloskey confident of bringing WBA title to Dungiven

Speaking ahead of a press conference in Belfast this afternoon (Wednesday, February 9) the Dungiven southpaw was respectful of his opponent’s pedigree but confident of beating him on his home turf on April 16.

“Fighting for a world championship is a dream come true for me and I’m not about to let it go to waste,” said McCloskey.

“Khan is a very good fighter and I respect him, but he is beatable and I plan to do just that. I’ve sacrificed a lot to get here and this is my time.”

The much anticipated clash had looked dead in the water after a wrangle over Pay Per View (PPV), ticket commissions and post-fight options but all of those issues were resolved after negotiations were reinitiated between the rival camps last Thursday. A deal - satisfactory to both fighters - was struck late on Saturday.

McCloskey’s father-in-law and manager Francie McNicholl said they were delighted the fight had been made and that it was now a matter of getting the Dungiven man the best sparring available between now and April.

“They came back to us through an intermediary on Thursday and it was resurrected from there. It was touch and go but all the issues were resolved to our satisfaction,” said Mr McNicholl.

“We are absolutely delighted to get the fight on and we are quietly confident that we can put in the preparations and bring the WBA belt back to Ireland,” he said.

“We intend to do everything we need to do to get Paul into the condition he needs to be for the fight,” he said.

But Amir Khan has other plans and aspires to light welterweight supremacy against Timothy Bradley and believes he can go on to beat Floyd Mayweather at welterweight. He is confident of a victory in two months times.

“I’m thrilled to be coming home to England to defend my title on April 16 and I promise my fans that I will give them a performance they won’t forget,” said Khan.

“McCloskey is a tough contender, so I expect him to be in his best form. I’m in my prime now and I want to make a statement in this fight and show that I am the best super lightweight in the world.”