Buatsi goes pro - Fights tomorrow night

Joshua Buatsi has the potential to follow Anthony Joshua's 'blueprint' and become a world champion within his first 14 or 15 professional fights, promoter Eddie Hearn has claimed.

The Olympic light-heavyweight bronze medallist makes his professional debut against Spain-based Cuban Carlos Mena on a packed bill of British boxing at the O2 Arena tomorrow.

Buatsi is the latest of an exciting generation of British talents to pass through the country's famed amateur system into the paid game, with former Team GB stablemates, Josh Kelly, and Lawrence Okolie among the Rio 2016 cohort making strides as professionals.

Joshua, who won gold at London 2012, is the pick of Britain's recent Olympians having unified the heavyweight division in only his 19th fight with an 11th-round stoppage of Wladimir Klitschko in April.

The unbeaten heavyweight is now managing Buatsi during his professional career and Hearn believes the 24-year-old has the same 'pedigree' as his mentor and can match the heavyweight's explosive impact in world boxing.

Tomorrow's clash with Mena (4-6-0) is set to be the first of eight fights for Buatsi during his first year as a professional.