Frankie Gavin wants Kell Brook showdown by the end of 2015

Frankie Gavin wants to conquer Europe and then take on domestic rival Kell Brook before the end of the year.

Gavin returns to action on the undercard of Brook’s IBF welterweight title defence in Sheffield this weekend.

The 29-year-old southpaw tasted defeat for the first time in his professional career last August when he lost a split decision to experienced Italian Leonard Bundu.

I want to fight the winner of Paulie Malignaggi vs. Gianluca Branco for the European title or a final eliminator, and then Brook before the year is out.

However, Gavin bounced back with two straight wins, stopping Hungarian Mate Hornyak in two rounds in October and then beating Bradley Skeete on points in November to extend his career to 21-1.

On Saturday Gavin faces Bogdan Mitic over ten rounds before a huge night on May 9 when he headlines in his hometown of Birmingham in a crunch IBF International welterweight title clash with South African Chris van Heerden.

“I am in a very tough fight against Van Heerden in Birmingham, but I will have the home crowd behind me and a lot of support,” said Gavin.

“I have been in big fights before with the likes of Bundu and Denton Vassell so I know what to expect on these big occasions. I need to go out there and grab the chance with both hands. It will be the first time I have headlined in Birmingham, so it is going to be great for me.

“If I win on Sheffield and then in Birmingham, I want to fight the winner of Paulie Malignaggi vs. Gianluca Branco for the European title or a final eliminator, and then Brook before the year is out.”

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Saturday is his first fight under new promoter Barry Hearn, and Gavin says that the shackles will come off after feeling frustrated with the Skeete fight despite the win.

“I never, ever felt in danger in the Skeete fight. He was so negative it was a joke really, it was like he had come just to go the distance," added Gavin.

"I tried to make a fight but nothing was really happening, he just kept moving and moving, for some reason he didn’t want to fight. You can’t go into a fight as a challenger and try and steal a fight, you have to win a fight and there is no way he did that.

“It changed my game plan a lot. My plan was to go forward but I expected him to engage a lot more than he did but he just threw the odd punch and ran. It was like he was in awe or scared. A lot of people didn’t complain about how boring it was, but I felt bored in there.

"I was trying to make something happen but every time I did he would hold or run. The amount of times he was holding and the ref didn’t say anything, I thought was a bit of a joke. But it is done now, I got the win and held onto my British title and won the Commonwealth again.

“After the Bundu fight it was very important to get the win. I fought a Hungarian between Bundu and Skeete and stopped him in two. It was meant to be a confidence booster before Skeete but I didn’t need a confidence booster because I knew there were levels between Bundu and Skeete.

“Against Bundu, it was more that I threw it away from sitting on the ropes. Everything he landed I gave him by staying on the ropes. I still think I won the fight but it could have gone either way, and the knockdown maybe swayed it. I know I can mix it at that level so if I get put in another fight like that, or even with Bundu again, I would be very confident of coming away with the win.”

Brook and Gavin’s bouts are part of a huge night of boxing in Sheffield as local favourite Adam Etches defends his IBF international middleweight title against Sergey Khomitsky and Gavin McDonnell continues his fairy tale story challenging Ukrainian Oleksandr Yegorov for the vacant European super bantamweight title.

Stephen Smith is back in action as he closes in on a world title clash, Kal Yafai continues his march towards a world title shot of his own and GB Podium squad member Charlie Edwards fights for the second time in the paid ranks on the bill.

Watch Saturday's card from the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield live on Sky Sports 1 from 19:30