The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
McAllister on Collison course in Ghana
Aberdeen boxer Lee McAllister has jetted to another continent in a bid to fight for the first time in more than a year.
McAllister had eight bouts cancelled in the United Kingdom due to the pandemic.
Having received the green light to fly out the 38-year-old is now in Ghana where he will fight tomorrow evening.
His opponent, Korley Collison from Ghana, has a record of 16 wins, 13 by KO and 9 losses.
McAllister, who is undergoing regular Covid19 testing in the African nation, will face searing heat in excess of 30 degrees when boxing in Accra.
The Aberdeen Assassin, a former two-weight WBU and two-weight Commonwealth champion, revealed he is fighting for free in Ghana.
McAllister said: “It was hard work to try to get everything sorted out to come across here.
“Before we flew out we had to get a Covid test back in Britain and another one as soon as we landed in Ghana. It will be a tough fight as my opponent will be looking to put on a performance in his home country.
“He and his team will be hoping I don’t travel well and that the heat will affect me but I will be ready to box. It will be about 30 degrees when we are fighting so it will not be an easy time.
“I will just have to box and pick my shots without rushing it.”
McAllister insists he had previous plans to fight in Ghana as part of a multination tour before the pandemic stopped them.
That would have taken him as far afield as Argentina - but those plans all fell apart.
He said: “Before the pandemic I had fights arranged in Ghana, Germany, Argentina, Malta and Cyprus. I was looking to do an Assassin tour.
“Those fights were then cancelled due to the Covid outbreak.”
The mercury is set to rise as high as 32 degrees when McAllister fights tomorrow evening.
It is a dramatic change in climate having trained in deep snow and sub-zero temperatures just two weeks previously in Aberdeen.
He said: “I’m happy to fight anywhere.’’
McAllister is joined in the Ghanaian capital by two fellow Aberdonians from his Assassin Health and Fitness Village cruiserweight Craig Dick and super-flyweight Kenny Allan.
Former European lightheavyweight champion Danny McIntosh, who McAllister now manages, is also in Ghana and set to fight tomorrow.
McAllister said: “I am just glad to be out and fighting to shed some ring rust before I get back to big fights in the UK. I want to bring big fights to Aberdeen.”