Sam Gilley talks to BBN about his next fight with Jumanne Camero
On Friday night, MTK returns to the York Hall with appearances from names such as the controversial character Ohara Davies, who ostracized an entire city; the longest reigning IBF world lightweight champion in history, Miguel Vazquez; and the headliner and long-reigning British featherweight champion Ryan Walsh.
One of the more recent signings to MTK Global is 8-0 prospect Sam Gilley, who is back in action and competing in his first fight since making the switch to MTK.
"I am really excited to be performing under the lights, I have seen the rise of the promotion and have been impressed with the way they deliver for their fighters," the 24-year-old from Walthamstow enthused.
"The fact that they have this deal with ESPN+ and iFL TV means people can see my fights all around the world. I got sent a photo from a primary school friend with him and his family all sat watching my last fight… it's madness"
Londoner Gilley has had a relatively testing start to his professional career, sharing the ring with some of the UK's most notable journeyman, which he says has been an invaluable experience for his career.
*The toughest fight of my career was against Willie Warburton, he is such a tricky opponent and I learned so much from sharing the ring with him.
"I dont think the some of the away fighters get the respect they deserve from fans, they are the backbone of boxing."
The opponent for Gilley's next outing is the tough and unorthodox Jumanne Camero (7-6), a winning fighter and former Southern Area lightweight champion who has a reputation of causing upsets on the road as the away fighter, something that has not been overlooked by Gilley.
"Jumanne is one tough cookie, he can switch from southpaw to orthodox so quickly and it has certainly shown that in some of his fights the awkward style has been overlooked and he had ended up causing a few upsets along the way.
"I have seen a few of his fights and I am not going to make the mistakes of opponents past."
One of the biggest struggles a professional fighter faces is the ability to be able to sell enough tickets to cover the cost of the opponent's purse, this is something that really makes or breaks a fighter and can be a huge distraction in the lead up to fights. This is something Gilley is very much aware of.
"As we are speaking, I am literally out dropping tickets off for my fight.
"I am fortunate in the sense that I have good people around me to help take the pressure off when it comes to selling and dropping off tickets.
*It can be a huge distraction when you are trying to train for a fight, but it is part and parcel of the business."
At this stage of his career, Gilley is looking to push on for a professional title and a win over former Area champion Camero will certainly push him in that direction.
"I want to be fighting for a professional title by the end of the year, I want to go the traditional route of Southern Area, English and then the British title.
"I am excited with what the next 12 months holds for me as a fighter and I can't thank Lee Eaton and MTK enough for this opportunity."