FAST-RISING featherweight Michael Conlan ended the year on a high on December 22 by registering the 10th straight win of his professional career.
On the Josh Warrington-Carl Frampton undercard at Manchester Arena, the unbeaten Belfast boxer unanimously outpointed former two-weight Commonwealth champion Jason Cunningham by scores of 98-92 and 97-92 twice.
The only blemish for the 27-year-old Conlan was the fact that he had a point deducted in the sixth round due to repeated low blows.
Here, Conlan reflects on his final outing of 2018.
On his performance against Cunningham
“I made some mistakes in there, but it was a learning experience. It was the first time I went 10 rounds. I felt comfortable in there going the distance, and I got the job done. At the end of the day, it’s another win in the bank. I’m very happy.”
On almost finishing Cunningham in the 10th round
“I thought I had him going, but I couldn’t get him out of there. He did very well to survive. I hit him with some good shots, but he’s a smart fighter and he knew how to survive. If I had a couple more rounds, I think I could have had him out of there.”
On his 2018 campaign
“I’ve progressed. I’ve gone from prospect to contender. I still have a few questions to answer, but I’m happy with the way things are going.”
On what’s next
“I’m going to be back at Madison Square Garden on March 17 for St. Patrick’s Day. Then, we want to come back to Belfast in the summer with a fight in between. I’m not sure who is next, but I want to keep stepping up.”
