Welterweight Ahmet Patterson says this is the year he’ll breakthrough and enter the top three in the domestic division. Patterson next features on the O2 arena show on Saturday February 28th – as support to Tyson Fury and Chris Eubank Jnr. – when he defends his English title against undefeated Sunderland rival Glenn Foot.
The slick, hard-hitting, 27-year-old from East Dulwich has long been identified as the man-to-avoid, but came to prominence with a fifth round stoppage of Chad Gaynor to win the English belt last September and then inflicting the first loss to prospect Sullivan Mason in his last fight in November.
Britain’s 147lb division is currently headed by Kell Brook and Amir Khan, but Patterson says he wants to first pick-off any of the fringe contenders Junior Witter, Denton Vassell or Sam Eggington before dealing with his primary target Frankie Gavin for his British and Commonwealth belts.
“I’m looking forward to an exciting year ahead in my career with my promoter Frank Warren and the Peacock Gym backing me all the way to the top,” said Patterson.
“I feel that I’ve been avoided by the rest of the guys in the division and they would rather sidestep me than fight me, but now with my team behind me I’m forcing my way to the top so they can’t ignore me any longer,”
“Brook and Khan are world class and they’re two levels above me right now, but in a year or two I feel that I will be ready for either of them,”
“My target is the British title, I’ve got the English belt, but the British is next on my list and Gavin’s got that at the moment and I know that I’ve got the beating of him. Once I get Foot out of the way then it’s all steam ahead for the Lonsdale belt which is my dream,”
“They’re the leaders, but underneath them are Witter, Vassel and Eggington and I’m confident that I can beat any of them right now. They’d better be sleeping with one eye open and looking over their shoulder because I’m closing in fast.”
