PADDY Fitzpatrick believes Luke Watkins is well-prepared for the challenge of winning his first professional title next weekend.

The unbeaten cruiserweight from Swindon heads over to Belfast next week to tackle the rugged Ian Tims, who has three defeats in 16 contests, for the vacant Irish title.

Watkins, whose mother Caroline hails from County Wexford, will also have his first experience of fighting live on British television with Sky Sports airing the show which sees Bristol’s Lee Haskin defend his IBF world bantamweight title against Ryan Burnett top the bill.

However, despite this being new territory for the 27-year-old, who has won all 10 of his fights to date, Fitzpatrick feels his fighter will be ready.

“I have always said that it is my job in the fighters first 10 fights to get them to face everything,” Fitzpatrick told the Advertiser.

“So, by the time that they fight for titles and face somebody with two or three attributes that they have already faced.

“This is a fight that is on Sky, I think that we have taken care of that pressure in the lead up to this fight.

“The first fight was about getting used to those emotions of it being your first fight, it was also on George’s (Groves) European title fight in London (at Wembley Arena).

“I believe it was filmed (by Sky Sport) but not shown live.

“Then in his next fight we went away to Germany and was the fight before the main event.

“I believe that the fight was shown live in Germany as it was the fight before Paul Smith and Arthur Abraham (WBO world super-middleweight title bout).

“I wanted him to get him to get big fight experience in his first two fights.

“All of those things which he has done means that when we come to this fight (next Saturday), travelling away from home it is not a big deal because he has already done that.