LIVERPOOL fan Kieran Gething knows he can’t afford to be distracted by tonight’s Champions League final if the Welsh super-lightweight title is to remain in his possession.

Pontypool’s Gething defends his belt for the first time against Newport rival Craig Woodruff on the MTK Global show at the Vale Sports Arena in Cardiff.

However, more than 760 miles away in Madrid, Jurgen Klopp’s Reds will be going for European football’s biggest prize when they face Premier League foes Tottenham Hotspur.

Gething’s encounter with Woodruff (7-4) is one of three championship contests on the night, so he could well find himself in the ring as the action is unfolding at the Metropolitano Stadium.

While he is hoping Liverpool go one better than last year when they lost out on the trophy to Real Madrid, Gething (8-2-1) realises how important it is he stays focused on his task.

“I don’t know yet what time my fight is,” said the 25-year-old. “Hopefully it will be early so then I can watch the football.

“Liverpool are so close to my heart, but I know what winning this fight could mean to my career and I can’t take my eye off the ball.

“They are screening the game at the show, and I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.

“On the one hand, they are showing it to try and sell more tickets, but then it could be a distraction for myself and the other boxers.

“I didn’t realise they were on the same night until Spurs won their semi-final, otherwise I would have tried to get to Madrid if I wasn’t fighting.

“I think it’s going to be a high scoring game and a Liverpool win.”

When asked if he had to choose between a successful title defence and victory for Liverpool, he replied: “I can’t answer that – I want both!”

Gething says his preparation for the clash, which has included sparring with Gavin Gwynne at St Joseph’s in Newport, couldn’t have gone better.

“My training has been great, everything has gone well,” he said. “I’m probably the fittest I’ve ever been.

“As long as I put everything into practice and stick to the game plan, I don’t see any way that he’s going to beat me.

"I know Craig fairly well, I gave him a lift to Llandarcy last year when we were both fighting on a show there, it was his comeback after a while out.

“We actually sparred each other before I fought Henry Janes for the Welsh title in February, Craig came up to my gym in Pontypool.

“He’s a very good boxer, but I do think he’s a bit small for the weight, he could fight at super-featherweight if he wanted.”

The MTK Global event is live on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank, and also live on iFL TV.

It is headlined by a European flyweight title fight between Commonwealth champion Jay Harris (15-0) and Angel Moreno (19-3-2).

Blackwood’s Craig Evans (19-2-2) puts his WBO European lightweight strap on the line in a rematch with Ireland’s Stephen Ormond (27-5), while Newport’s Sean McGoldrick (8-0) and Tony Borg-trained Lance Cooksey (9-0) are in action as well.