The first professional contest of the 2007 bodybuilding season just got a little meatier. Two-hundred and forty two pounds meatier, to be exact.

In a phone interview earlier today, Marcus Haley confirmed that he will enter the Ironman Pro this Saturday at the Pasadena Civic Center. Haley, a late addition to the lineup, was keeping that information relatively quiet in the months and weeks leading up to the show.

“I wanted to fly under the radar and surprise some people,” Haley said. “This is the best I’ve ever looked. It’s gonna be good. This morning I was dry as a bone at 242 pounds.”

Haley placed eighth at the Europa Super Show and fourth at both the Colorado Pro and the Atlantic City Pro last year. He wasn’t as secretive with his goals for the show as he was with his plans to be in it.

“My goal for this show is to win it,” Haley said. “Definitely be in the top three. I’m very, very happy with how I look. I think that it will be Toney Freeman, Mark Dugdale and of course Dave Henry. But I think that, because I’ve made such huge improvements in my back – I’m really thick right now – I think it’s going to be a battle between me, Freeman and Dugdale.”