Aberdeen boxing star Dean Sutherland today vowed to rapidly rack up a run of victories to rocket up the super-lightweight rankings
A former multiple-weight world title holder at kickboxing, the super-lightweight has made a successful transition to the Queensberry Rules.
Southpaw Sutherland has notched up two wins since turning pro and aims to extend his 100% record when facing Nicaragua’s Miguel Aguilar in Glasgow on September 27.
Aguilar, 31, is a veteran of 60 fights and has gone the distance within the last year against former British middleweight and interim WB0 world title challenger Tommy Langford.
He also went to a points decision with former European super welterweight and WBF world title challenger Jose del Rio.
Sutherland said: “Aguilar has been in with a couple of big names recently, so it is a good opportunity to face him in my third professional fight.
“He is a bit more of a slugger who seems to look for that one punch and does a bit of pressing.
“My fast hands and movement will be too much for him.
“He is a well known and experienced journeyman so to put in a good display against him would be brilliant for me.
“If I could get a stoppage that would be outstanding.”
Following the clash with Barcelona-based Aguilar (11 wins, 48 losses, one draw), Sutherland intends to get in the ring at least one more time before the end of the year.
He said: “I am trying to get as many fights as possible and stay active. There is no point going from a big training camp then stopping before gong into another camp.
“I want to keep going to build up real momentum. The idea is to push myself up the rankings.”
Sutherland will face Aguilar on the undercard of the vacant British bantamweight title bout between Ukashir Farooq and James Wilson at the St Andrew’s Club in Glasgow.
He said: “This is the first all-Scottish fight for a British title in more than 40 years, so it is a good stage for me to fight on.”
One of he hottest young prospects in kickboxing, Sutherland won world, European and British titles at multiple age and weight divisions from an early age.
He simultaneously held world kickboxing titles at 60kg, 62kg, 63.5kg and 65kg before stepping up to the senior ranks.
Sutherland then won the 67kg ISKA full-contact title with a stoppage defeat of France’s Anthony Duchenne before making the switch to professional boxing.
His first home city boxing bout was an impressive 40-36 points win over Lithuanian Arvydas Trizno at the Hilton Treetops hotel in Aberdeen on September 1.
Sutherland’s debut fight was a second-round stoppage of Italian Victor Edagha in Paisley in June.
He said: “I absolutely loved fighting in Aberdeen as my opponent was a very tough guy.
“However, he didn’t give me any problems and only hit me once or twice during the fight.
“It meant I was able to show off my full variety of skills instead of just being a power puncher.
“I was able to do a bit of show boating in the process and work him from different angles which made me look a lot better rather than just hitting him with one punch and him going down.”
In his bid to replicate his kickboxing career and ascend to the level of competing for major titles Sutherland has been working with boxing legend Gary Jacobs.
Glasgow-based Jacobs won European, Commonwealth and British welterweight titles and also fought for the WBC world title against Pernell “Sweat Pea” Whittaker in 1995, one of the world’s best pound for pound fighters at the time.
“I was down in Glasgow to train with Gary and got in some quality sparring,” said Sutherland.
“It was a tough regime, and the same one Gary used to use but I really enjoyed it.
“I got in some good sparring sessions with boxers such as Martin Harkins (seven wins, zero losses at welterweight).
“I am loving pro boxing and want to get my name known as quickly as possible.”