JOE HUGHES plans to make British super lightweight champion Tyrone Nurse regret describing his style as ‘predictable’ in their title fight on Saturday night at the Leicester Arena.

Malmesbury’s Hughes, the English super lightweight champion, will achieve the ambition he set himself when starting out in pro boxing seven years ago if successful on Saturday night – the right to call himself a British champion and wear a Lonsdale belt.

If that were not motivation enough, his challenge will be televised live to the five million BT Sport subscribers as well as promoter Frank Warren’s BoxNation channel.

“Tyrone’s camp seem to be taking my challenge lightly and think it is a foregone conclusion,” said Hughes, who at 26 is a year younger than his opponent. “Tyrone this week called my style ‘predictable – jab-left hook, jab, left hook’.

“I am happy for him to think that. Everyone who does not know me seems to think that – until they are hit with my punches.

“And there is a growing list of beaten boxers on my record which suggests I am anything but predictable.”

Hughes thought he would have to bide his time for a tilt at the British title after losing out to the much-hyped Jack Catterall in the final title eliminator last May.

But circumstances have seen him leapfrog to the head of queue as the 27-year-old Yorkshireman Nurse, beaten just twice in 37 contests, bids to defend his title for a third time.

“I feel very fortunate to be given the chance of a British title so quickly,” said Joe. “I think two mandatory challengers to Tyrone’s title, including Catterall, pulled out.

“Tyrone is seen as a tricky fighter that others want to avoid but when the opportunity came up I jumped at the chance.

“He is only a year older than me but has had 20 more fights, though a lot of those in the early part of his career were against journeymen.

“More recently he has struggled to find opponents and I can relate to that having had similar problems.

“He is not the greatest puncher in the world – he tends to win his fights on points but he does make his opponents look bad.

“Having seen my fight with Catterall he knows I take a punch and I won’t be going anywhere.

“Tyrone has been put on the canvas before, something that has never happened to me in my whole amateur and professional career, nor in sparring.”

If he did not have enough motivation already, Hughes has a final score to settle, having lost to Nurse when they were teenagers in a semis of the Junior ABAs in 2007.

“He got a points decision in a fight I felt I clearly won,” said Joe. “That’s just another reason I want this title badly.”