Chatteris boxer Jordan Gill to step up a weight in search of world title

Jordan Gill is stepping up a weight as he continues his bid to land a boxing world title.

The Chatteris 28-year-old has made the decision after just the second defeat of his career, against former world champion Kiko Martinez in October.

‘The Thrill’ has fought all his career at featherweight but will step up to super featherweight for a comeback fight, probably around April time.

And the former Commonwealth, European and twice-WBA International champ, is targeting a grudge match against WBC world heavyweight champ Tyson Fury’s cousin Isaac Lowe.

Gill told the Citizen: “The plan is that I am going to go up a weight to super featherweight, which is from 126lb to 130lb.

“It doesn’t sound like a lot, just 41b, but it does make a lot of difference.

“For years and years I’ve been a featherweight.

“I won the Commonwealth title as a featherweight, and I won the WBA title twice as a Featherweight, I won the European title too.

“I won my first title at 23/24-years-old and you chase and chase a world title,but every fight it gets harder and harder to make the weight.

“Sooner or later, you find out the hard way.

“And I did against find out against Martinez, when I was a little too tight and I didn’t have much to give.

“It’s only when you look back that you realise how hard it is.

“At 13-year-old I was fighting at 60 kilos, which is 9st 6lb... and featherweight is 9st.

“So at 28-years-old I’ve been fighting at 6lb lighter than I was at 13-years-old and there’s only so long you can do that for before something has to give.

“For me, I feel it is now the right time in my career to change weights.

“I am filling out, I’m getting stronger and naturally my body wants to grow so I think now is the time to do it.

“I’m looking forward to some big fights and there’s plenty of big names in the mix.

“Even in Britain, there’s the likes of Zelfa Barratt and there are big fights to be made.

“Hopefully I’ll get a good comeback fight and then I’d like to make an attack on the super featherweight division.

“A personal fight there for me would be with Lowe as he’s been talking some trash about me. He doesn’t like me and I’m not too keen on him so that would be a good fight to make.

“I’m looking forward to my comeback probably around April time. It’s likely to be a meaningful fight rather than a tune-up fight, but I cannot say for definite.

“I don’t really want a warm-up but it’s all down to my management. If they want me too, then I will. But when you get past a certain level, even the tune-up fights are hard ones.

“They’re all international opponents that are top 50 in the world. I’d rather go straight in to a bigger fight because then you get more credit.”

On the disappointing loss to Martinez, Gill added: “It wasn’t a nice experience. I wanted to win that fight and I was adamant I would, but I got beaten on the night by the better man.

“But I can hold my hands up and say I prepared very well, but the weight obviously wasn’t helpful for me on the night.

“Martinez is a two-time world champion, he’s a good fighter and he got the better of me.”

But now Gill is ready to go again. “I had a couple of months off after the last fight, chilled out and got away on holiday. It was nice and I feel refreshed and recharged.

“Every time that you step up a level and every time that you are in the ring with world class fighters, you raise your levels.

“But I’ve studied the Martinez fight, I’ve learned from it and you should see a new and improved Jordan Gill next time.”