Kieron Conway determined to get back to winning ways against on-song Silva

The Team Shoe-Box fighter has been out of action since losing to Austin 'Ammo' Williams in Las Vegas in September, and will be aiming to get back on the winning trail in the eight-round super middleweight bout.

But Conway knows he is stepping into the ring with an in-form opponent.

The 39-year-old Portuguese is on a five-fight winning streak, all of them coming inside the distance.

Silva hasn't lost a fight since December 2018, when he was seen off on points by unbeaten German Leon Bauer in Croatia.

That is one of five defeats he has suffered in eight fights outside of Portugal, and his overall record is 21 wins and seven losses from 28 fights since making his debut in 2004.

He clearly packs a punch, but Team Shoe-Box trainer James Conway, who is also Kieron’s father, believes his man will simply have too much quality for Silva.

"We are very aware Jorge Silva has finished six of his last seven opponents inside the distance so we aren’t taking him lightly at all, far from it,” said Conway Snr.

"But in reality the levels that Kieron has been operating at compared to Silva is like comparing the Champions League to the Europa Conference, so we go in full of confidence.”

Conway goes into the encounter with 18 wins, a draw and three losses from his 22 pro bouts, although two of those losses have come in Conway's past four outings, the defeat to Williams coming 18 months after he was edged out on points by France’s Souleymane Cissokho in Texas.

"Since Kieron’s last outing where things went to plan through the first seven rounds before losing out on points to Williams over 10, we’ve had chance to work on a number of things that didn’t quite go as they should have,” said Conway Snr.

"This fight should be a great time to showcase those things.

“Kieron is a very very good combination puncher because he maintains his balance during exchanges and has good hand speed so it’s something we are keen he gets back to.”

And he added: “Hopefully Silva will view Kieron as a non puncher, but that will be to his detriment.

"Nobody has ever said Kieron is a KO power house, but everyone who’s shared a ring with him has said you can’t disrespect his power and accuracy which we believe will be the difference.”

Conway is setting his sights on claiming the British title in 2023, although he may have other options on the table.

"Obviously the question everyone asks before a fight is what’s next after this?," said Conway Snr.

"But there’s no plan set in stone, just that Kieron would really like another shot at a British title this calendar year.

"That said, he’s ranked well inside the top 20 in the world so there will be plenty of options if the British scene is tied up waiting on fights to be made.”

Saturday’s fight is on the undercard of the WBA world featherweight title fight between Leigh Wood and Mauricio Lara. The action is live on DAZN.