BLACKWOOD boxer Hari Miles has found himself a little winter sun, but he’ll have to fight for it, writes Michael Pearlman.

The 28-year old hasn’t been in action since the summer when he upset the odds to reach the final of a Prizefighter, cruiserweight event.

Despite a mixed record of 9-8, many observers feel the former Team Calzaghe member is reaching his peak.

That’ll be put to the test this weekend when he faces hard punching Congolese cruiser Youri Kalenga in Alicante, Spain, on Saturday, who has a record of 17-1 with 11 knockout victories.

However, Miles is brimming with confidence.

“Preparation has been good, he’s a knockout artist with power but I’m used to that, I have been in the ring with and in sparring with plenty of big-hitters,” he said.

“My last fight was called off at late-notice and I’ve carried on training, so even though I’ve only had a weeks’ notice, I’ve had a full training camp for this one and feel good.

“They weren’t sure about fighting me, that’s saying something, it was going to be an eight-rounder but now it’s ten.

“He’s a decent fighter, but not the biggest cruiserweight, he’s sharp and fast but he’s not really fought anybody, we’ll see what he’s made of.

“I will have to win well, but I’ve been on the road for most of my career, I know what it’s all about and I feel I can win this fight really well by stoppage or wide on points.

“This fight is a big opportunity; the guy is ranked number eight with the WBA.”

Miles is now trained by Nathan Cleverly’s conditioning coach Darren Wilson and the Cardiff trainer is also feeling confident.

“Preparation has been good, Hari’s done loads of sparring, he’s been training for weeks and as a trainer and fighter we are starting to gel well together,” he said.

“We expect to have to win well to get the decision, he’s prepared to fight on the front foot when he’s required to do so and we feel good about his chances.”