Kian Thomas will be watching Saturday’s Southern Area welterweight title contest with keen interest as he targets a bid for the belt later this year.

The 24-year-old from Kentish Town is on the undercard for Saturday’s Mickey Helliet/Warrior Promotions show at York Hall, aiming to rack up his sixth successive victory in the professional ranks.

However, the former St Pancras ABC amateur plans to hang around until the end of the evening, when Tamuka Mucha defends the Southern Area crown against Tommy Tear.

Thomas said: “I will be definitely watching that to see where I am in comparison. I’m hoping to get a title this year, maybe the Southern Area.

“I don’t want to fight any more journeymen – I want to face hungry fighters who will make me train hard and bring out the best in me. The harder fights prepare you for the title fights.”

Thomas, who is trained by CJ Hussein, has won all five of his fights since turning over just under a year ago, with the most recent of those coming earlier this month.

That was a points win against Bulgarian Mario Petrov over four rounds in Brighton and Thomas is planning to showcase his revamped style again on Saturday, when he faces Tottenham’s Mark McKray.

“I used to jab and move when I was an amateur and now I’m more in their face,” added Thomas, a former national novices champion during his amateur days.

“I’m hoping to fight in the pocket. My defence is good – and the power is there. I just want to be as good as I can be and I’m looking to have good fights and excite people.”

The bill also includes middleweight Alan Higgins, once an amateur team-mate of Thomas at St Pancras, who is boxing for only the second time in two years.

Higgins returned to action in December after a horrendous run of injury problems, outpointing Edgars Sniedze over four rounds, and the 27-year-old is anxious to make up for lost time when he takes on Jan Balog on Saturday.

He said: “It was good to get in there and get four rounds under my belt. I missed the feel you get in the changing-room before a fight.

“It’s a good feeling – you’re nervous and excited, and I hadn’t had that for a while. I thought I won every round clearly enough, but I hurt my hand in the third round.

“I couldn’t really stick my jab on him in the third and fourth rounds, but I still won comfortably enough. Now I want to get up the rankings and get people talking about me.

“I want to have this fight and box again as soon as possible. I want to build some momentum and I’m looking to have a title fight by the end of the year.”