DYLAN Carter is a dedicated professional - but he practises his sport just for kicks. Burnley and Britain's kick boxing king certainly isn't in it for the money.

For fighters in the sport are notoriously poorly-paid, even when taking part in title bouts.

And that's what 22-year-old Dylan will be doing tonight, at a packed Thompson Centre in Burnley.

He takes on Francisco Maximiano, of Portugal, for the European super-welterweight (up to 70 kilos) full-contact kick boxing crown.

Yet, the young man who fights out of the Black Knights club in Burnley, only had his first professional fight in 1994 and has been in the sport for just about two and a half years.

It has been a remarkable rise to fame, and one strewn with titles. Little wonder that Carter exudes confidence without making himself sound in any way boastful.

Hard work has taken him to the top and the rewards come in the shape of satisfaction rather than pounds sterling, as he explained.

"Although I am a professional, it isn't very well paid at all," said Dylan, who also works part-time at the Thompson Centre.

"For example, one of the lads I know does regular professional boxing and, after five bouts, all of which he lost, he picked up £2,000.

"I had five fights, two of them title fights, won them all and collected about £200. I'm certainly not in it for the money."

Dylan first got into kick boxing as a sort of natural progression from Ju-Jitsu which he took up several years ago.

First it was semi-contact, now the full-blown version.

And he admitted: "More than anything, doing full contact gave me confidence, knowing that I could look after myself if any trouble ever arose when I was out and about."

It has led to success in the ring, most recently last October when he went to Australia to help the English team become semi-contact world champions.

Now he is raring to go in his latest challenge tonight when he believes he is capable of bringing the European title to Burnley.

"I am ready for it. I have been working hard for the last five or six months, ever since I got back from Australia," he said.

"I don't know much about my opponent but, as he beat the previous European champion, he's obviously going to be a good man.

"But I am quietly confident."

Kick boxing is a gruelling sport where the going really gets tough.

As such, the rounds in tonight's contest last only two minutes each.

"Although it's a minute less than ordinary boxing, there's just as much action if not more in two minutes, because it's not just hands, it's kicks as well," said Dylan. "I have been doing all sorts of training, five-mile runs three times a week, then special work such as skipping, using the punch bag, sparring and shadow boxing.

"Luckily, I am only part-time at the Thomson Centre and I can work my shifts around training.

"I also have the Sports Centre there to use."

Kick boxing is not one of the traditional sports in this country, hence the lack of big money for the professionals.

But Dylan believes it is rapidly expanding and feels it could take off in the future.

"Yes I do," he said. "When I first started I knew very little about it, but when I go to other fight nights I regularly see up to 1,000 people watching.

"Hopefully it will get the recognition it deserves.

"There isn't really enough money in it to support a full-time career at the moment but I would like to think that might change.

"The main men who promote the sport are forever saying that you will be able to make a living from it and I can certainly see it becoming more and more popular."

Dylan's right-hand man tonight will be Allan Clarkin, of the Black Knights who is his manager, trainer, coach and just about everything else.

But his title bid also has a family connection. For his opponent has been staying at the Martholme Grange, managed by his dad Patrick and where yesterday's weigh-in was staged.

It might not be a big pay night in the Thompson Centre for Burnley's best against Maximiano, but a European title belt would be more than adequate compensation for a likeable lad with glory rather than gold on his mind.

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