Vito Mielnicki on moving to 160 for his February 14 fight with Connor Coyle

It was time for Vito Mielnicki to move up into his third weight class as a professional prizefighter.

Mielnicki was just 17 years old when he turned pro in 2019 as a welterweight. He moved up to junior middleweight in April 2022. For his next outing, however, Mielnicki will be making his middleweight debut against Connor Coyle on the undercard of Denys Berinchyk vs. Keyshawn Davis on February 14 in New York City.

The 154lb limit “started to get a little tough to make,” Mielnicki said in an interview with Randy Gordon and Gerry Cooney, the hosts of “At the Fights” on SiriusXM. “The last two times at the scale, I had to strip my underwear down just to make ’54. But I feel like [at] ’60, I’ll feel strong. I won’t have to kill my legs, kill my whole body [for] that extra six pounds. Nobody thinks six pounds is a lot, but in boxing and making weight, it’s a lot of weight.”

Mielnicki last fought in late September, winning a majority decision over the 16-5-1 Khalil El Harraz and moving to 20-1 (12 KOs).

“I had this little gap between my last fight. I had some time to really strengthen up a little bit, really grow into the 160 [division,” Mielnicki said. “I feel strong in training. I feel strong in sparring and stuff, too.”

The New Jersey-based fighter is just 22 years old and will turn 23 in May. That means Mielnicki could still be growing into his body. He’s hoping that a move to super middleweight won’t be necessary for some time.

“I’m hoping I’m here [at middleweight] for a while,” Mielnicki said. “This is where I’m hoping to win my first world title. This is where I want to stay. ’54 just got a little too tough. I think ’60 will be perfect. I feel strong. I feel fast, elusive. I feel really good at this weight.”

Coyle is a 34-year-old originally from Ireland and now living in Florida. He fought just once in 2024, returning in August after nearly a year away, scoring a points win over the 12-1 Kyle Lomotey. That brought Coyle’s record to 21-0 (9 KOs). He’s ranked third by the WBA but is not rated at middleweight by any of the other sanctioning bodies.

“I’ve watched a lot of film on him. My coaches have watched a lot of film on him. They’re giving me great instructions, great tips,” Mielnicki said. “He’s a great fighter. I’m looking to level up my game each and every time I step in the ring, especially when I’m going against a great fighter like him. That will only elevate my game.”