Unbeaten heavyweight star Hughie Lewis Fury battles veteran George Arias on July 25 at Derby Arena and aims to become the first man to stop the notoriously durable Brazilian for some ten years.

Fury and Arias meet over a scheduled ten rounds and Fury, unbeaten in 15 professional fights, knows a statement will be made if he’s able to do what most are unable to do – halt Arias within the distance.

“We were looking for a top ten or top fifteen-ranked opponent for Hughie, but nobody we approached fancied the job,” said Peter Fury, Hughie’s trainer and father. “A lot of them didn’t want to take the risk. They either didn’t respond to our offers or they simply said ‘no’.

“We’ve got George Arias now and I’m happy with him as the opponent on short-notice. He will take Hughie rounds and continue his development.

“If you look down his record, he’s fought some good names. He’s fought Johnny Nelson for the world title. He’s boxed everybody and given them all a run for their money.

“What I like about this fight is that Arias is in shape. He’s not over the hill. He comes into the fight in good condition and he’s on a good run of form.

“A statement can be made if Hughie stops him, but, looking at Arias, and looking at the punches he’s able to take, it’s very, very doubtful. He’s in good physical shape and his body looks strong. It will take one hell of a performance, or punch, for Hughie to knock this guy out.”

Forty-one-year-old Arias, a native of Sao Paulo, has won 56 of 68 pro fights and has been active since 1996. He famously knocked out Danish hope Steffen Nielsen inside three rounds in 2005 and is the current Brazilian heavyweight champion and former South American champion.

Known for his toughness and spirit, Arias has extended the likes of Johnny Nelson, Sinan Samil Sam, Audley Harrison, Taras Bidenko, Marcelo Dominguez and, most recently, Denis Boytsov. He enters his July 25 date with Fury having won 15 of his last 16 fights, 14 of which ended inside the distance, and, with 42 stoppages from 56 career wins, boasts a 75% knockout ratio.

Twenty-year-old Fury, meanwhile, has looked faultless so far in his two-and-a-half year professional career and last time out defeated heavy-handed Ukrainian Andriy Rudenko over ten rounds in Monte Carlo. The fight marked a clear step-up in class for Fury, a calculated gamble, but he passed the test with flying colours, outboxing the rugged Rudenko throughout and protecting his unbeaten record in the process.

*** Tickets for Blackwell vs. Jones & Fury vs. Arias can be purchased from the Derby Arena Box Office on 01332 255800 or by visiting www.derbylive.co.uk ***

*** Blackwell vs. Jones will be televised live on Channel 5 on July 25, while the supporting undercard will be televised live earlier in the evening on Spike ***