NEWBRIDGE’S Bradley Pryce may have been second best to Luke Keeler last weekend but he has already turned his attentions to what would be a 60th professional fight.

Pryce, 35, missed out on the vacant BUI Celtic Nations super-middleweight crown on Saturday, losing to Irishman Keeler on points at the National Stadium in Dublin.

Keeler was awarded the contest 78-73 following eight action-packed rounds, in what was legendary official Mickey Vann’s final bout as a referee.

The Welshman, taking part in his 17th title fight, was sent to the canvas in the second round and admitted afterwards that Keeler was simply “too big and strong”.

However, home favourite Keeler had come in over the 160lb middleweight limit – Pryce agreed to make the fight for the super-middleweight belt rather than the middleweight strap.

The former Commonwealth champion will now move back down to light-middleweight, with no intentions of stepping up again.

And he has revealed he could be back in action next month, with the offer of another eight-rounder on the table.

When Pryce does step into the ring again it will be for the 60th time in the paid ranks, more than 17 years after his debut, a comfortable points win over Dave Hinds in Doncaster.

“I’ve been offered a fight on December 17,” he said. “It would be against a light-middleweight, which is ideal for me, so I’m thinking about that at the moment.

“I’m definitely going to drop back to light-middle and not take any fights above that weight, I want to avoid middleweight now.”

Reflecting on Saturday’s fight, and particularly the issue with the weigh-in, Pryce added: “The fight was changed to super-middleweight because he didn’t make the middleweight limit.

“I probably could have kicked off and made him lose the weight but I don’t think he would have.

“The fight would have been cancelled if I’d insisted he lost the weight and he hadn’t made the limit, but I would have lost out on a payday and the fans would have missed what was a good fight.

“I felt the rounds were close and could have gone either way.

“He caught me in the second round, although I thought it was a bit of a slip, but if you touch down then there’s not much you can do.

“The crowd loved the fight and everyone over there made me feel really welcome.”