Ursu itching to 'shake off the cobwebs'

PLYMOUTH WELTERWEIGHT HAS HAD TROUBLE FINDING OPPONENTS WILLING TO FIGHT HIM

- ANDY PHILLIPS

PLYMOUTH welterweight champion Constantin Ursu is ready to 'shake off the cobwebs' this weekend in Top Tier's latest show at the Brentwood Centre in Essex, ahead of an expected fight in Dubai in November.

Moldova-born Ursu has lived in Plymouth for five years, and last year became the city's first boxing champion since Scott 'Dynamite' Dann when he stopped Matthew King to take the Southern Area welterweight title.

Since then, Ursu has won both of his two fights by stoppage, including a three-round demolition of Basi Razaq at the Brentwood Centre in April this year.

Ursu has had to vacate the Silver Commonwealth title he won against Dujon and successfully defended, mainly because matchmakers have been unable to find anyone willing to go into the ring with him.

But he will take on a man who is expected to be two weight divisions higher, Romanian fighter Octavian Gratii, in a show which is being streamed on the DAZN platform.

Coach Marlee Dann said: "We've had pull-out after pull-out - nobody wants to fight Constantin.

"It's got the point that all the people who are in his weight category are refusing to fight him.