Paul McCloskey Wants Marcos Maidana in the RING

Paul McCloskey says he wants to challenge Marcos Maidana for the WBA Light Welterweight title in Belfast after edging Breidis Prescott in a WBA eliminator on Saturday night. The Dungiven fighter bounced back from a first round knockdown and a bloodied nose in the second round to secure a gritty win in front of a packed Belfast crowd. McCloskey admitted to a slow start in the fight but he finished strongly as the Colombian began to tire, and will now seek a second shot at the world title, this time with a home town show against the Argentinean Maidana.

“I would love to fight Maidana, we have already spoken on Twitter – he’s a true gent and a great fighter,” said McCloskey. “I think it’s a fight that could happen and it would be fantastic to have it in Belfast again. The support on Saturday was unbelievable, it really pushed me over the line in the last round.”

McCloskey’s promoter Eddie Hearn said that work on a World title fight would begin right away, and that a return to the Odyssey Arena was a strong possibility. “I would love it to be in Belfast but we will go anywhere to turn Paul into a World Champion,” said Hearn. “He deserves a World title shot after beating a man that everyone else avoids. He will say himself that it wasn’t his best performance skill-wise, but the determination and courage Paul showed against Breidis is worthy of a world title shot alone.

“The Odyssey Arena was rocking and everyone left with a smile on their face. That’s what Paul brings to the table – a great fan base and guaranteed entertainment. That’s the perfect mix for a World title fight.”