MORGAN Jones can take his perfect professional record into double figures at the Newport Centre on Friday night – and he will be hoping to do it in front of one very special supporter.

The St Joseph’s fighter, who has won all nine of his contests so far in the paid ranks, boxes over a scheduled eight rounds for the first time when he faces durable Yorkshireman Harry Matthews.

Jones, 26, is set to have a passionate army of fans backing him in his quest to beat Matthews, including four-month-old son Amari, born just a couple of weeks after his dad’s last bout in November.

March 11 should have been the date of Jones’ previous outing, but his clash with unbeaten Libyan Malik Zinad didn’t go ahead after the Cardiff Motorpoint Arena show was postponed.

However, Jones, who would have faced Zinad at light-heavyweight, has been able to take his preparations for that fight into his super-middleweight showdown with Matthews.

“I was meant to have a huge fight last month,” said South Africa-born Jones. “I changed the way I was training to prepare for it, I really ramped things up.

“It was frustrating when the show was called off because that would have been a really big opportunity for me to show how good I am.

“But although the fight didn’t happen I still kept going with the same training regime.

“This fight in Newport is the first for me over eight rounds so it is a step up, and all my training has been geared towards going that distance.

“It’s going to be really exciting to see how I fare in an eight-rounder against a very durable and skilful guy who has only been stopped once.”

Matthews, 29, has lost 23 of his 39 fights, although he did begin his pro career with nine victories in succession.

The only time Matthews failed to last the distance in those 23 defeats came when he retired with a rib injury against Ryan Aston in July 2013.

Friday night’s Sanigar Events ‘Acid Test’ show is headlined by Cefn Fforest’s Robbie Turley’s crack at the vacant Commonwealth super-bantamweight crown against Bobby Jenkinson.

Newport middleweight Daniel Barton will also make his debut on the undercard in a four-round encounter with winless Jacob Lucas.