Pauls hopes win can push world title aspirations

Brad Pauls hopes a successful defence of his IBF international middleweight belt will put him in line for a world title shot.

The 33-year-old from Cornwall faces Bradley Goldsmith at Southampton's St Mary's Stadium on Saturday as part of the undercard for the Ryan Garner vs Michael Magnesi world title fight.

Former British champion Pauls knocked out unbeaten Shakiel Thompson in his last fight in March to win the vacant IBF international title.

With the IBF's world middleweight belt vacant, Pauls hopes victory this weekend will push him up from his current eighth-placed ranking into the reckoning for a shot at the title.

"I never look past an opponent, but I understand that defending this belt will set me up for bigger fights, potentially a world title," he told BBC Sport.

"But there's nothing if I don't beat Goldsmith on Saturday, I get none of that. There's loads to gain and I like fights where there's loads to gain."

Having handed Thompson his first defeat a few months ago, Pauls now faces a fighter in Goldsmith who is six years younger and has had just one loss in his 16-fight career.

"I think it's a difficult one," Pauls said of his opponent.

"He's a well-rounded fighter, he's a dangerous fighter and when I signed up with Queensbury they said 'no easy fights' and they've got me a hard fight straight away.

"Full respect to him but I'm here to defend my belt on Saturday night."

Known as the 'Newquay Bomb', the fight represents a great chance for Pauls to compete as close to his native Cornwall as possible.

He expects to be cheered on by a large section of support from his home county as he aims to improve on a professional record of 21 wins, two losses and a draw.

"It's a massive chance to defend my belt and progress me on," he said.

"They've got me a real tough fight on Saturday night and we've got a few Cornish coming up, it's going to be noisy and it's going to be a good night.

"As soon as I knew about a Southampton card it made sense to get me on it. You don't get many shows close to the south west and this is probably as close as I'm getting.

"So it just made complete sense and this opportunity came and I had to take it with both hands."