DEAN Francis will make his first appearance in a boxing ring for more than three years tomorrow as he looks to get his career back on track.

The Basingstoke-born fighter will face South African Mondli Mbonambi on the undercard of a bill topped by British super-heavyweight Olympic champion Audley Harrison at the Wembley Conference Centre.

This will finally give the super-middlewight boxer the chance to put to rest the ghost of his last fight in October 1998 at the Basingstoke ice rink when he dislocated his shoulder.

A forced break in jail for two years for assault has given that injury the necessary time to heal and he is just hungry to get into the ring again and fight.

The 28-year-old said: "I have waited a long time to get back in the ring and I am really excited. It will be like starting my career again."

Despite his time out of the sport, the fighter feels he is fitter now than when he last fought, but is not looking to knock his opponent out in the first round.

Francis said: "I have been told by the British Boxing Control Board that, depending on my performance, I will be able to challenge for the British title in one or two fights."

He added: "I will go there to put on a show and prove to everyone I am back. If he walks onto a punch and goes down in the first round then it will be his fault, but it is not some-thing I will go into the fight trying to do."

Mbonambi last fought in February when he lost on points to Canadian Syd Vanderpool to leave him with a professional record of 17 wins and 14 knock-outs from 26 fights.

Francis will certainly have his chance to catch the eye with the press hype surrounding Harrison's fight.

Harrison will be up against giant Julius Long, a 7ft 2in fighter in a bout which will be shown live tomorrow on BBC1.

Fight fans wishing to see Francis can obtain tickets from the Rhu Bar priced at £25.

Steve Bendall, who trains under the watchful eye of Francis' father Trevor Francis, will make his second defence of the WBU Inter-Continental middleweight belt in Coventry a week today against Russian Victor Fetchko.