Cody Kelly is backing himself to inflict defeat on hometown hero Nikki Bascome in the headline bout at the Epic Entertainment Fight Night at The Shed, in Dockyard on Saturday night.

The Canadian boxer is heading into the welterweight contest high on confidence and with a strayegy mapped out to topple his Bermudian opponent.

“I have watched videos of Bascome and he looks like a slow starter,” Kelly told The Royal Gazette.

“I haven’t seen the fight, but I heard Dylan Rushton gave him a pretty good show when they fought and I gave it to Dylan pretty good in the last two fights we had, so I like my chances and I feel good.

“Preparation has gone really well and there have been no injuries, which is always good.

“We've been working on the same game plan for about eight weeks now and we know what we are going in there to do.”

It’s no secret that Kelly intends to take the fight to Bascome.

“I think you are going to see an aggressive Cody,” he added. “I know I’ve got to lay the pressure on him.”

The 34-year-old is making his international debut and reckons the pressure is on his opponent to live up the expectations of the home crowd.

“This is my first international fight but I don’t get excited,” he said. “I am here for business. I have been in many fights through the years where I have been the home- crowd guy, so it’s all the same to me.

“I think the pressure is on him one hundred per cent. I know he has not fought in nine or ten months, so I think he will be a little rusty as well.”

Kelly, who fights out of the Twin Boxing Academy in Ontario, reckons his ability to switch between an orthodox and southpaw style will also work to his advantage.

“I'm orthodox and southpaw so I tend to switch it up in a fight,” he said. “It keeps them guessing and keeps them trying to get a better gauge on me.”

Kelly is determined to bounce back from defeat in his previous fight for the Canadian title against Mark Smither in July.

“I lost a close ten-round decision and obviously after you lose a fight your goal is to win your next one no matter what, so my drive is always the same,” he said.

The main event between Kelly and Bascome is one of three professional bouts on the card with Bermuda’s Andre Lambe facing Paul Ispas for the vacant American Boxing Federation welterweight belt and compatriot Michael Parsons taking on Jamaican Gregory Miller in a catchweight bout.

Also featured on the card will be a host of local boxers including Adrian Roach, Ngai Franklin, Jaylon Roberts, Otero Smith and Josef Ferreira.

Tickets for the seated section for tomorrow’s event have already been sold out but tickets for the standing area are still available and can be purchased at ptix.bm.

The eagerly-anticipated event will also be available to watch on pay-per-view on channel82.bm.

• For more information, visit www.epicbda.com