Three Dundee cage fighters are set to be TV stars as they prepare to take on their English counterparts in a prestigious cross-border competition.
Ian McLeish, Julez Loftus and Darren Clark will be fighting for the honour of their country in the open competition, which is to be screened on Sky TV.
Ex-amateur boxer Ian (32), now a boxing coach in the city, says all three have high hopes of toppling their opponents in this weekend’s competition, called The Storm Is Coming.
”I think we’re all very confident, but not over-confident,” Ian said. ”It’s an open event but we’ve all been put up against English fighters, so it’s a bit of Scotland versus England.”
Ian, who coaches young boxers in Dundee, is fighting in the heavyweight (95kg) category of the tournament, as does 22-year-old Darren, who Ian describes as ”the crown jewel” for Dundee.
”Darren is the Anglo-Scottish champion and he’s heading for bigger things. He’s won his last five fights, four of them in the first round. He’s a bit of a knock-out artist.
”Julian is a strong fighter too. He’s 33 and fights in the middleweight section. He’s one of the most muscly guys in his weight.
“I’ve got strong hopes for all three of us. I just hope we all perform well on the evening.
”It’s a special broadcast on Sky TV so it’s great exposure for us all.”
Ian works as a security guard at the Job Centre in Dundee while Julez runs Tayside Autos in the city.
”Darren is a professional fighter though,” Ian added. ”He’s definitely making a career out of it.”