By Brendan Galbraith – Irish Light Heavyweight Champion, Ciaran Healy (12-15-1) will take on former French champion Frank Haroche Horta (24-8-4) at the Palais des Sports de Gerland in Lyon on Saturday night. Healy was originally scheduled to face Affif Belghecham. Irish and British fight fans will recall the gallant challenge of Belghecham against his last two opponents, Darren Barker and Andy Lee. However, it is understood that Belghecham pulled out of the Healy fight as he was offered a French Title shot in early January 2011..
Belfast man, Healy was fortunate to evade the treacherous snow conditions to take his delayed flight out of Dublin airport on Friday and finally arrived in Lyon in the early hours of Saturday morning via Frankfurt and Paris. Healy is coming off two good wins, a TKO win over John Waldron to secure the Irish Light Heavyweight Title in his last fight, and prior to that he handed Harry Matthews his first professional loss in a dominant points victory.
Healy is now working with Alec Doherty and Gerard McCafferty, with the former also training Brian Magee. Healy has been benefiting from top sparring with the European Champion and is confident going into the lions dens to take on Haroche.
“I am confident. They [Haroche camp] think I am going over there to get beat but as soon as I get on the scales and I make the weight I will be happy. Then I can get all my strength up again for Saturday night because now I know I can do it.”
“Even when I fought Waldron, after the first punch was threw I knew right away I was just too strong for him. I have been training since my last fight and have watched my diet.”
When asked what domestic fights Healy would like after his French assignment, the Belfast man replied:
“I would like to get a shot at the Irish Super Middleweight or Middleweight titles. The last time I fought Anthony Fitzgerald for the Irish Super Middleweight title I wasn’t even training at all and took the fight with only four days notice. But, I thought I won it. I was actually stronger at the second half of the fight.”
Healy is looking forward to giving the domestic scene one more push in 2011 and hopes to get out at least every couple of months:
“There will be plenty of bills next year, so hopefully just keep busy”.
Healy is a solid professional on the domestic scene and has looked much stronger is his recent performances and should give a good account of himself against the former French Champion on Saturday night.