Jamie Conlan: It’s sink or swim in Belfast

Training underwater for a crucial fight at a venue named after an ill-fated ship that ended up at the bottom of the ocean may be tempting fate. But Jamie Conlan, who has been training underwater in Spain, remains supremely confident ahead of Saturday’s clash with Hungary’s David Koos at the Titanic Centre in his native Belfast.

Finding an opponent for Saturday – three withdrew – has been frustrating for unbeaten (17-0-0, 11 KO) Conlan, who reckons every fight is an eliminator for the big one from here on in.

“I think everything now is kinda a world title fight in my head because if I slip, I’m down the ladder again, I’m back at the start again,” he said. “The final eliminator for a world title seems to be confirmed. The momentum is changing, before it was always in the background..