British heavyweight David Price has revealed that his time away from the ring has enabled him to develop mentally ahead of the next stage of his career.
Price has been absent since June due to hand surgery and a bicep injury, but, ahead of his meeting with Irineu Beato Costa Jr on February 21, the Liverpudlian has insisted that he had no desire to compete in an easy fight on his return.
The 31-year-old told Sky Sports News: "It has been a frustrating time for me, because I got my career back on track, with three wins in the early part of last year, but in the second half of the year, it was a little bit different.
"I picked up a hand injury which I had to be operated on, got that sorted, after that I picked up a bicep injury, a week before the scheduled fight in December. It has been a little bit frustrating, but it has been a time where I have had a lot of time to develop in the gym and also on the mental side of things as well.
"I want an opponent who can bring something out of me and Costa Jr fits into that bracket. He has got dangerous punch power and has a similar record to myself."
Costa Jr has won 16 of his 18 matches as a professional, with 14 of the wins coming inside the distance.
Darren Plant
