Michael Conlan looking to cause damage and KO Ionut Baluta

Michael Conlan drops down to super bantamweight when he fights Ionut Baluta on Friday, April 30. Conlan now calls this division home. 

The last time boxer Michael Conlan made 122 pounds for a fight was in 2017 for his professional debut. He has fought most of his pro career as a featherweight, but he’s returning to the super bantamweight division and is calling it home.

Conlan (14-0, 8 KOs) fights Ionut Baluta on Friday, April 30, from York Hall in London. He last fought in August, stopping Sofiane Takoucht in round 10. Conlan was supposed to fight super bantamweight champion Isaac Dogboe in December, but Conlan suffered a ruptured tendon in his foot, causing the fight to be canceled.

It was Conlan’s first major injury, but he received treatment and started the recovery process immediately.

“It was my first ever injury in the sport,” Conlan told FanSided.

Conlan added, “I just kept my focus. I know what’s ahead of me and where I want to get to, and the injury wasn’t going to stop me preparing.”

Conlan is fully recovered from his injury and is excited about his future at super bantamweight. He stands at 5-foot-8 but doesn’t feel strained working his way down in weight.

Michael Conlan is showing a new, more forceful attitude headed into his super bantamweight bout with Ionut Baluta

“I haven’t had to make much changes at all,” said Conlan. “I just had to be a bit stricter in terms of my calorie intake per day.”

Oddly, Conlan feels even stronger going down in weight than he did as a featherweight. Conlan feels more motivated than ever to become a world champion. His positive mindset is pushing him to surpass his limits. Conlan feels like he will wipe out Baluta to make a statement to the super bantamweight division.

“I think I’m walking through him,” said Conlan of Baluta. “I feel like I’m punching, two to three times harder than what I have been before. I’ve been working on a lot of technical stuff and techniques. I think I’m going to shine in this one.”

In past conversations, Conlan has been reserved while making fight predictions. That’s not true this time around.  Conlan has added swagger and is confident that he’s going to knock out Baluta.

“I don’t think I’ve said much in terms of ‘I want to go and KO, with this guy,'” said Conlan. “I haven’t done that in my whole career. I have never really focused on really trying to hurt someone. This is one of them times I will. That’s probably one of the many things that make me a little more hungry. I want to go out and cause damage. I want to go out and KO this guy.

“I feel I KO this guy. I want to knock his head off his shoulders. I want to knock him out.”

Conlan’s comments are a stark contrast to his previous pre-fight talks. He’s tired of waiting for a title, and the desire to be a world champion is manifesting into a wrath that the super bantamweight division will have to deal with.

Watch Michael Conlan vs. Ionut Baluta on ESPN+ on Friday, April 30. Coverage begins at 4 p.m. ET.