David Nyika will make his professional boxing debut in the undercard of the Joseph Parker-Junior Fa heavyweight showdown later this month in a cruiserweight bout against 3-0 Jesse Maio.

The dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist and qualified Olympian said turning professional was a long time coming.

"I've been thinking of turning professional since the day I stepped into a boxing ring," he said. "A lot of my knowledge of boxing stems from some of the all-time greats – the Sugar Ray Robinsons, the Sugar Ray Leonards, the Muhammad Alis.

"They are all known for their feats in the professional realm. It's always something that I've wanted to do and I guess I've come towards the end of my life expectancy as an apprentice.

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