FORMER middleweight world champion Peter Quillin insists he will eventually move to super-middleweight as he prepares to face Michael Zerafa at the Foxwoods Resorts Casino in Connecticut on September 12.

The Brooklyn native vacated his WBO title in 2014 and fought Andy Lee for it in April of this year, but the judges could not split them.

He makes his return to the ring against Australia’s Zerafa ahead of a mooted clash with WBA ‘regular’ world middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs in December, but is eyeing a move to 168lbs in the future.

“I’m getting to that point where I feel like that’s [moving to super-middle] going to be on my horizon and I’m getting older,” he said.

“I’ve been the same weight since I was 18 years old and now I’m 32. I won’t get to the point where I’m just trying to hang on to the weight. I think in my near future I will be up to 168lbs.”

Quillin failed to make the 160lb middleweight limit for his fight with Lee and his bout with Zerafa will take place at a catchweight of 163lbs, but he maintains he will do his best to make weight should he fight Jacobs.

“I don’t eat unhealthy. But this is the first time in my career where I had to go through this type of stuff,” he noted.

“As far as me working in the gym, I’m in the gym and for the Danny Jacobs fight, whatever the case may be, I’m going to try my hardest and try to make that weight but I won’t kill myself.”

Zerafa, 22, is not considered much of a challenge for the American, with his sole loss coming in his first fight outside of Australia when he was outpointed by Arif Magomedov in Russia last year.

Having started out as a light-middleweight, his 17 wins have come against unheralded opposition and Quillin feels it would be a huge shock should the youngster beat him.

“I’m trying to keep my mind focused just on Michael because I know everybody’s looking to make a name for themselves, including him,” he said.

“If he comes in there and beats me then he would probably be pulling off one of the biggest upsets in boxing recently. But my job is to take everybody seriously, whether it’s Michael, Danny Jacobs, whether it’s Gennady Golovkin or whether it’s any other name out there.”