Mamadou Thiam (46-8, 43 kos) has promised to knock Andy lee (20-1, 14 KOs) out on May 15 at the University Arena in Limerick.

Not that middleweight Lee will need any more motivation, but his veteran opponent was doing some serious fighting talk ten days ahead of the contest.

“Of course I am predicting a knockout, that is what I do for a living,” declared Thiam this week.

The 38-year-old, known as “Dou-Dou,” was extremely pragmatic in his breakdown of what he does best.

“Some people sell cars, some people build houses, some people drive buses, I knock people out. I suppose I'm like a dentist, because we both take teeth out for a living!

“It's not a personal thing for me, I'm sure Andy Lee is a very nice guy, but this is a business and a very hard business, and there is no room for nice guys.

Lee is in Tampa, Florida wrapping up his camp before heading to Ireland for fight week and his much anticipated ring return. Thiam sees the bout as an opportunity to revitalize his career.

“Lee is a big name in Ireland, but I have fought at the highest level and I know what it takes to succeed there. Lee will be a good scalp for me and put me in a position to win another European title,” he said.

Out of the spotlight since his last bout in November, 25-year-old Lee knows that he needs to reestablish himself on the middleweight landscape with a good performance. 

In other news, renowned trainer Freddie has two Irish fighters on his book, Dublin pair Dean Byrne (11-0, light welterweight) and newly turned professional Jamie Kavanagh, and both are in action next week.

Byrne told the Irish Voice last week that he would be fighting at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California.  Since then, Michael Lucero (12-15-2, 4kos) has been confirmed as the opponent for “Irish Lightning” in a contest scheduled for six rounds.

Roach’s other Irish fighter is recently turned pro Jamie Kavanagh.   In what is surely every fighter’s dream, according to boxrec.com, the 19-year-old lightweight will make his professional debut in Madison Square Garden on the undercard of the Amir Khan/Paulie Malignaggi fight on May 15 in a contest scheduled for four rounds.