ODIHAM professional boxer Matt Goddard still feels he will be able to fight for a title by the end of the year, despite having to pull out of his latest bout on June 6 due to an eye injury.

The 23-year-old had a cyst in his eye, which has left behind some damaged tissue. It needs time to heal and the boxer has decided to give the June outing at Portsmouth’s Mountbatten Centre a miss.

Goddard said: “I will be out for around a month and then I will be perfectly okay.

“If I fought and was caught in the eye I was told it may be six months before I could fight again.”

The Odiham fighter is keen to maintain his impressive perfect record and is not about to put it at risk.

His last victory – the seventh of his professional career so far – came in Southampton in March, when he out-pointed Arek Malek in a six-round fight.

The boxer is now looking at moving up to eight rounds as the light welterweight continues his quest to land a title this year.

Goddard said: “It is a bit of a disaster suffering this injury, but I have to focus on the bigger picture and maybe I will ask to move straight up to fighting eight rounds next time out.

“I still think getting a shot at a title by the end of the year is not out of the question. I am going to continue to train hard so, when I get the all clear from the doctor, I will be able to fight as soon as possible.”

This would ideally be in July, putting the 23-year-old back on track for bigger and better things by the end of the year.