Patrick Nielsen (23-1, 11 KOs) makes the move up to super middleweight, and un his maiden fight at 168lbs, the Danish boxing star will headline a Nordic Fight Night show on March 14 at the Ballerup Super Arena in Copenhagen.
Nielsen, who returns following a unanimous points victory over Lukasz Wawrzyczek in December, had this to say:
“I’ve been fighting at the middleweight limit for five-years.
“I’m only 23 years old, so it’s natural that during this time my body is going to grow and develop.
“It has been getting more and more difficult for me to make the weight. In my last two fights in particular, I struggled. I was left feeling drained and wasn’t able to perform as well as I know I can.
“At super middleweight it’s going to be a different story. I’m going to be able to bring a lot more power and a lot more excitement. I feel stronger already. There are some massive fights out there for me and I’m ready to mix it with the top guys in the division. I want to be the best, and to be the best I must beat the best.
“It’s a great venue
“I’ve been there to watch the Six Day Race, and I’m looking forward to fighting there on March 14. I think the way the arena is set up is going to make for a really special atmosphere. It’s only ten minutes away from my home, so I’m expecting all my fans to come to support me and make a lot of noise!”
Nielsen’s coach, former two-time world champion, Joey Gamache, believes the time is right for the Dane to move up in weight, and expects a new and improved performance from him in the ring on March 14.
“This is the right decision at the right time for Patrick, “said Gamache.
“I think at super middleweight we are going to see his true potential. He has had to drop a lot of weight going into fights in the past and that has affected his performances.
“He’s not a small guy, and with his size, height and reach he is more suited to super middleweight. It’s something we have talked about for a while. We sat down as a team and decided the time is right to make the move up now.
“He’s not meant to be a middleweight. His younger brother Micki is a cruiserweight, so that tells you something about his family genetics. He’s been fighting at that weight for five years and he is not a skinny eighteen-year kid anymore. He’s matured and developed. It’s been a struggle for him to make the weight since I started working with him.
“At super middleweight he is going to be fresher. Everything is going to be better, his strength, endurance and resistance. It will also allow us to be more aggressive in the ring. He is going to be able to carry a lot more power at super middleweight and that is going to trouble a lot of his opponents.”
Promoter Nisse Sauerland is looking forward to bringing the Nordic Fight Night to the Ballerup Super Arena, and is promising excitement in Nielsen’s super middleweight debut.
“The move up in weight is going to benefit Patrick massively.
“I believe we are going to see a completely different fighter in the ring on March 14. More weight means more power, and with more power comes more excitement.
“This is a big step for Patrick. The super middleweight division is one of the strongest in the world. There are some great fighters and great fights out there, Patrick is going to be a part of this.
“The Ballerup Super Arena it is a fantastic arena and will provide a great setting for the Nordic Fight Night. As always, we will bring fans an action-packed show, featuring the very best of Scandinavian boxing. We will be making further announcements regarding the undercard and Patrick’s opponent in the coming days.”
”We‘re delighted to welcome the Nordic Fight Night to the Ballerup Super Arena,’’ said Venue Director, Keith Lemmon. ‘’We have a fantastic history of staging top quality sporting events, and we look forward to hosting another on March 14. We believe the Ballerup Super Arena will provide the perfect setting for an exciting evening of world class boxing!”
Tickets for the Nordic Fight Night go on sale today at 14.00 and are available via billetlugen.dk. All the action will be shown live in Denmark on TV3 and TV3 Sport channels.
