Ricards Bolotniks admits that fighting in Latvia will give him a huge advantage ahead of his Golden Contract light heavyweight semi-final against Hosea Burton.
Hometown hero Bolotniks (16-5-1, 7 KOs) welcomes Burton (25-1, 11 KOs) to Riga for their showdown on September 26, live on IFL TV, with a place in the final of the Golden Contract light heavyweight tournament at stake.
Bolotniks has won 14 of his 15 fights to take place in Latvia, and he feels it makes him the clear favourite ahead of the battle with Burton.
Bolotniks said: “At home everything is easy! I am very grateful to MTK Global and LNK Boxing for making this fight happen on Latvian soil.
“Of course the support of the fans will help, but even more important – the support of my wife Alina! I was ready for any of the remaining fighters, so we are more happy that the draw finally happened.
“Burton is a tall fighter with a strong punch, I had a gut feeling and told my wife before the draw that I will face Burton in the semi-finals.
“He is a good technical fighter with long reach, and it’s another test that life is giving me, and a test that I have to pass.”
Burton vs. Bolotniks comes three days before the other semi-final, as Liam Conroy goes up against Serge Michel in the UK on September 30.
That fight take places on the undercard of the #GoldenContract super lightweight and featherweight finals, as Ohara Davies faces Tyrone McKenna, and Ryan Walsh takes on Jazza Dickens, live in the UK on Sky Sports in association with Matchroom Boxing, and live in the US on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank.