Huge chance awaits for Waterlooville's Mark Chamberlain as he looks to take next step in promising professional career

The ferocious Waterlooville lightweight, 23, will face-off against Spain's Marc Vidal at Wembley Arena on Saturday, July 2 for the vacant IBF European title.

Part of promoter Frank Warren's stable of fighters Chamberlain has excelled on the domestic scene, racing to 10-0 as a pro since turning over in 2018 - with his fearsome power evident as seven of those victories have arrived inside the distance.

Now the ambitious former plasterer is bidding to clinch the European strap on offer, securing himself a world ranking in the process and push onto the highest level.

Chamberlain said: ‘With Frank Warren, obviously they invest into you as boxers, but they've got to believe in you. They must believe in me to give me the opportunity, so I'm thankful I've got this opportunity at this stage of my career.

‘I know there's a time and a place for the right fights, but I'm at that stage where I need to push on. As much as they're getting harder the opponents, I can only stay at that level for a while, now I'm going to make that jump to the next level and hopefully win some more belts.

‘Yeah, definitely (huge chance). It'll push me up there in the rankings - I think it's top-15 in the world (if he takes title). If I get this fight out of the way, touch wood come through this fight, then I can start pushing onto bigger and better things again with a world ranking.

‘Obviously at the minute all my focus is on July 2, get that out of the way first, then I can start thinking ahead.’

Back in March, Chamberlain stopped Jeff Ofori for just the second time in his 16-fight pro career, forcing his opponent into a fifth-round retirement.

And Chamberlain believes it would be quite the statement if he could claim the IBF European belt inside the distance against the never-previously-stopped Spaniard Vidal, with the bout to be billed on the Joe Joyce undercard.

‘Jeff (Ofori) was supposed to have been no pushover opponent. He'd been in there with O'Hara Davies and only been stopped by O'Hara Davies,’ said Chamberlain.

‘Marc Vidal hasn't been stopped before so if I could stop him then it would be a great statement for me. I wouldn't go looking for that, but I'm pretty sure I can break him down then, hopefully, break him apart.’