Saundre Simmons is counting down the days before he finally realises a dream of fighting in Bermuda on the Casino Fight Night boxing card.

The light-heavyweight, whose professional record stands at an unblemished 5-0, is poised to take on Mexican opponent Alex Perez (6-9) in his first bout on island at The Shed in Dockyard on February 15.

“It feels great to be fighting home and a longtime goal that lets me know I’m on the right path,” Simmons told The Royal Gazette. “It’s a great opportunity and I plan on taking care of it.

“I want to look impressive every fight, but I want this performance to gain me the confidence of Bermudians.

“Fans can expect a world-class level combat and a chance to see the same calibre of fighter you see on television in person.”

As for his opponent, the orthodox fighter added: “He’s coming off four KOs, so he must have some power. I respect all my opponents in preparation.

“Camp is going good. Getting to enjoy the holidays before jumping into a full fight camp was refreshing.”

Born in Lancaster, Massachusetts, Simmons resided in Somerset with his Bermudian parents before moving to Asheville, North Carolina, at age 12.

Before turning professional the 27-year-old produced a string of impressive feats as an amateur, including finishing runner-up at the USA National Boxing Championships and the Golden Gloves of America.

“I’m thankful and blessed to be where I am in my career,” Simmons said. “There was a point where I didn’t know if I would be a professional, so I’m thankful to be able to showcase what I’m good at.

“I’ve been competing for seven years and always admired combat and the discipline it seemed to take. I started training at 18, then started competing at 20 and now at 27 my biggest inspiration is my daughter [Wisdom Marie Simmons].

“I aim to be spectacular through consistency and tenacity, and I want her to understand that she can be spectacular at whatever she wants using these same characteristics.

“Short term, I want to get back on a television platform this coming year and keep building a record. Long term, I look use boxing as a way to invest and grow as a brand.”

The headline bout for Casino Fight Night pits Bermuda’s Andre Lambe (11-0) against Francisco Martinez (12-9), of Mexico.