Mark Little is targeting Southern Area title in 2020
Romford cruiserweight Mark Little (12-1, 4KOs) reckons he has turned his solo loss in his career into a positive as he looks ahead to a big 2020.
The super-popular hitter, who made national press last year due to his charity exploits for West Ham fan Isla Caton, suffered a shock defeat to debutant Andrius Ruzas in September.
Before that the 31-year-old from Essex, managed by Steve Goodwin, had raced to an impressive record of 12 fights with 12 wins and four coming inside the distance.
And the West Ham fan has admitted the upset made him look at a few key things in his camp.
He said: “Having the first loss like I did was definitely my biggest learning curve.
“After going strong with three wins to start the year, it gave me that reality check that maybe I needed.
“You can’t underestimate anyone in this game, there was talk of titles round the corner and maybe I took my eye off the ball a little.
“But saying that, something didn’t feel right, in future I’m going to speak up and when I don’t feel right, I’m letting people know.”
Little’s impressive record and dismantling of opponents before Ruzas leaves him with one target for 2020.
“This year has to be the year for titles," he asserted. "I wanted a shot last year but now I’m ready.
“In a dream world, by the end of 2020, I’ll be sitting here with the Southern Area belt having already defended it!"
Current Southern Area cruiserweight champion is 'Nightmare' Nick Parpa (9-1, 5KOs), from Palmers Green, London, and he defends his belt for the first time on March 7 to 29-year-old Jose Lopes (9-2, 4KOs) at the York Hall.
Little appears on the same show in a six-rounder with the opponent yet to be confirmed. With a convincing victory and a ringside seat post-fight to study potential furture foes, Parpa and Lopes, he could be back in the title mix before the summer.