UNDEFEATED Highland heavyweight Gary Cornish insists that after his bout in Inverness tonight against the Bulgarian Yavor Marinchev – dubbed The Hyena – it is the Scot who will be the one having the last laugh.

With one eye on an eventual British title shot, the 6' 7" Cornish is talking up his chances of victory in his 11th professional contest.

Despite the eastern European winning only eight of his 30 bouts to date, Marinchev poses a credible threat to Cornish's progress, according to promoter Tommy Gilmour.

Marinchev has won his last three contests and Gilmour, who also manages Cornish, pointed out that he lasted the distance against British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion David Price before losing on points.

Gilmour said: "It would be extremely dangerous to underestimate Marinchev, based on what he did against Price.

"But Gary has shown tremendous progress and next year will be a big one for him as we move closer to realising the dream of Scotland having a first ever British heavyweight champion."

The three-fight bill will feature local welterweight Alastair "Jasper" Chisholm and Kirkcaldy-based Latvian Andrejs Podusovs, the reigning British Masters super-featherweight champion.

Meanwhile, Rivals Gym in Wishaw is tonight hosting a seven-fight card.

Motherwell's Iain Butcher headlines the bill against South African Michael Rambaleta for the vacant International Masters super-flyweight title.

The 20-year-old will be supported on the undercard by undefeated teenage welterweight Rhys Pagan, from Sanquhar, who is aiming to chalk up a fourth successive win, against Englishman William Warburton.