MTK are as busy as ever, and The Brentwood Centre is the latest setting for their Fight Night series. You can watch the action this Saturday night on the iFLTV and on Top Rank/ESPN in the USA.
Top of the bill is the talented 27-year-old, Danny Dignum (12-0, KO6) and the Essex-based Middleweight defends his WBO European title for the first time.
It’s a dangerous assignment though, as fellow unbeaten, Alfredo Meli (17-0-1,KO5) will be in the opposite corner.
Both Dignum and Meli share a common opponent in Conrad Cummings, with the Belfast man held to a ten round split draw in November 2015 and in Dignum’s last ring appearance, he stopped Cummings in five rounds at York Hall in November.
The draw with Cummings is Meli’s only career blemish and he’s recorded six straight wins since. He last appeared on the big Falls Park bill in August 2019, scraping by the unheralded Ariak Marutjan by a single point over eight.
Dignum, a decorated amateur, having been an ABA champion and member of the GB squad is ranked #10 by in the WBO rankings and could be on course for a title eliminator with victory.
Prediction: This is a well made match, and MTK are fast gaining a reputation for matching their fighters tough, which is only a good thing. Dignum impressed last time out, while Meli had to survive a scare. I think Dignum’s amateur qualities can shine through here, and I favour him to take a points win.
25-year-old Walthamstow-based Sam Gilley (10-0, KO5) makes the step up from journeyman level opposition to title level, when he challenges for the vacant Southern Area Welterweight belt. Milton Keynes’ Curtis Felix Jr (10-1, KO1) steps down from English title level to tackle Gilley.
Felix Jr, 30, was last seen in an unsuccessful challenge to Ekow Essuman’s English belt, when stopped in eight rounds at York Hall in November last year.
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This was his first career defeat, however he has previously been the ten round distance. Gilley goes past scheduled six for the first time, having only been that distance twice in his fledgling career.
Prediction: Although defeated, Felix gained valuable experience last time out, and this should count against a green opponent in Gilley. The tentative pick is for Felix to come through a close one on the cards.
The man that vacated the Southern Area Welterweight belt is Shaquille Day (13-0, KO2), and he takes part in a ten round English title eliminator at 147lbs against Kaisee Benjamin (9-1-1, KO2).
‘The Black Mexican’ knocked Louis Adolphe down twice, and outscored him over ten to claim the belt back in July 2019. Birmingham’s Benjamin has only one career blemish, in the quarter finals of Ultimate Boxxer against Sam Evans in April 2018. He is also the current Midlands Area champion.
Prediction: Day looks like he could be going places, but with Benjamin, we cant take too much from his sole defeat. I think Day’s Area title experience can carry him to a win on the scorecards.
Another battle of unbeatens sees James Hawley (5-0, KO0) and Josh Adewale (3-0, KO0) go head to head over six at Middleweight.
Steven Donnelly also has a six rounder at Middle, against an opponent yet to be announced.
Mitchell Frearson, Liam Wells, Martin McDonagh and Jack Martin all get run outs on the card.
