Italian job next up for Dunne

Undefeated Dubliner Bernard Dunne is Italy-bound for his next fight on April 3.

The current IBO super bantamweight champion is scheduled to meet Sergio Carlos Santillan, a former Argentinean title holder and current South American champion.

Having made a successful continental debut last October when he stopped Marian Leondraliu in Germany, Dunne will hit the road again with his the clash with Santillan being held in Rivarolo Canavese, a town just outside of Turin.

Dunne has experience of Turin having fought there as an amateur.

The 26-year-old explained: "I fought in Italy a couple of time in the amateurs and I loved it there. One of the fights was in Turin and another was in Venice. It's a beautiful country and hopefully I'll win a few new fans over there when I fight Santillan."

Dunne said of his 32-year-old opponent, who is nicknamed "El Tigre": "He has a decent record and has only been stopped once. I've watched some of his fights on video. He looks to be a very rough and rugged kind of guy who can be dangerous with the head so I'll have to be very careful.

"The plan is to outbox him and keep my focus like I did against Leondraliu so I'll be looking for another performance like that."

Santillan, a native of Buenos Aires, has boxed 29 times professionally, scoring 20 wins (7 Kos), with 6 defeats and 3 draws. He lost his last fight on points to Puerto Rican Jose Nieves in October.

Dunne, who bagged an excellent TKO win over Noel Wilders at the National Stadium in January, is hopeful that another win - the 20th of his pro career - will take another step closer to a shot at European champion Michael Hunter.

"Everything I'm doing at the moment in my career is geared towards that fight taking place before the end of this year.

"That's the fight I want but obviously I need to get past the likes of Santillan first. These are the kind of fights I need to ensure that I'm ready to take the European title from Hunter."

Dunne's manager and promoter Brian Peters added: "I think the fight in Germany last year was a great experience for Bernard. Nothing compares to the atmosphere when he fights back home in Dublin but these fights abroad are essential for Bernard too.

"It also raises his profile across Europe. They were very keen to have him back in Germany but we've decided to go with Italy this time and showcase Bernard to another new audience."

RTÉ TWO will carry live coverage of Dunne's fight on the night as well as action from John Duddy and James Moore's recent outings at Madison Square Garden in New York.