Murdock inks deal to shoot for stars
GOLD Coast boxer Rohan Murdock has signed a longterm contract that will secure his future and see him next fight in August.
Murdock yesterday put pen to paper with promoter DDP Sports Management – who also work with Brisbanebased world No.2 Dennis Hogan – agreeing to terms on a three-year deal that will involve a total of nine bouts.
The 26-year-old last fought in Texas in February, defeating American Frankie Filippone to take his professional record to 22-1.
Murdock, now ranked eighth in the WBO super middleweight standings, is aiming to vie for the world title in about 12 months’ time and will ramp up his preparations with an August fight likely to take place in Brisbane.
“This is huge for me,” he told the Bulletin.
“This has given me a path now so I can fight regularly, I can fight good opposition and it is going to help me build to where I want to be.
“Ultimately 12 months is the perfect time for me to fight for that shot, so a few more fights and we will be ready.”
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum had mooted plans to have his world champion Gilberto Ramirez square off with Murdock later this year on Surfers Paradise beach.
The Murdock camp are wary their title challenge may come against another opponent, however, with widespread speculation that Ramirez may have to move up a division to light heavyweight given that he struggled to make weight in Texas.
Danny Dimas of DDP Sports Management revealed Murdock had caught his eye last October when he fought in their inaugural show.
At the time, Murdock was on the comeback trail after a run of injuries but he wasted little time casting aside Tanzania’s Said Mbelwa.
“Rohan is here to prove himself but so are we as a promoter,” Dimas said.
“It’s not just, let’s grab any fighter and make some money, it’s about the journey.
“Our journey at DDP is we’re on the bottom, we want to get to the top – very similar to a boxer.
When we saw Rohan in that first fight, we knew he was going places straight away. Just his skill level, his physical appearance, you can tell this guy has worked really hard.
“We will get any opponent for Rohan that is going to be suited for his career.”