Perry in confident mood ahead of Draper clash

DENIS Perry believes he will claim a ‘dominant win’ over Brian Draper at Clan Wars 40 this coming weekend in Belfast.

The pair were to do battle in March but with the latest lockdown restrictions coming into effect that month, the bout was put back until late May.

That has now become early June and despite the lack of certainty surrounding when he would get to take on the young Dubliner, Perry has been fully focused on his preparations.

Having sat out of the cage for five years until last December when, on just four days notice, he took on Jordan O’Neill, who is almost a decade his junior, in a heavyweight clash.

Despite losing narrowly, the Strabane man, who had two title belts in two different weight divisions and he won a World Championship bronze medal in Las Vegas, believed he showed that he still has what it takes to make his mark in the cage.

The now 31-year-old took a step away from the sport at the age of 25 but since 2020 he has been training regularly with SBG-Strabane and coach Gareth Vaughan and he feels he is in the best shape possible for his fight with Draper this weekend.

FULL STORY IN THIS WEEK’S STRABANE CHRONICLE