The 24-year old, the reigning Central Area and English champion, is keen to defend the belts he won in successive contests last season, but he says the chance to appear in the principality was too good to turn down as he looks to challenge for the British title sooner rather than later.
Little said: “I’ve had a great year, winning the belts on dinner shows in Blackpool in front of my family and friends, but you can’t turn down a chance to fight abroad on a show like this in Monaco can you? The experience can only do me good as I look towards defending the English in December, hopefully in Blackpool again, and then moving on to bigger and better things next year. The British title is definitely on my radar now and, if I work hard and listen to my coach, Alan Levene, and manager, Neil Marsh, then I can’t see why I can’t be in the mix in a few months.”
Chapelle’s last English opponent was current British lightweight champion Scotty Cardle, who outpointed the Frenchman over eight rounds in Glasgow in June last year, but Little revealed that he isn’t looking to go one better than the Lytham St Annes fighter.
“Chapelle is a good test for me at this stage of my career. He’s never been stopped in near 40 fights and has been the distance with some good fighters so I’m not looking to go in there and knock him out. Its all about learning and gaining new experiences for me now and fighting someone like him in a place like Monaco is certainly a new one for me. Training has gone well and I’m really looking forward to going over there and getting the win.”
Adam Little v Sylvain Chapelle takes place on a four-fight World Sport/Hatton Promotions/Neil Marsh bill at the Gymnase du Lycée Technique de Monaco on Friday 2 October
