Scottish super-lightweight champion Ahmed Ibrahim will make his long-awaited return to the ring tomorrow night with a hard-fought bout lined up against former Scottish champion Marek Laskowski.
The Scotstoun fighter returns to action for the first time since clinching his Scottish title with a 10-rounder against Livingston brawler Martin Taylor back in June.
That was the first time Ibrahim had completed the championship distance and the 27-year-old insists that experience will stand him in good stead moving forward - starting tomorrow night at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Glasgow.
And up against Laskowski (9-10-2), an opponent he was first scheduled to meet last year, Ibrahim is hopeful of another big domestic name to add to his already impressive record.
He said: “Marek is a former Scottish champion so it would be a good name to beat but I need to keep my focus.
“I was actually meant to be fighting Marek last March for the Scottish title but it didn’t go ahead so beating him will put me right up there for more titles in the future.
“I felt good getting the 10 rounds in my last fight to win the title, but I could have fought better with less mistakes. I made the night harder for myself.”
READ MORE: 'Black Assassin' Ahmed Ibrahim dominates to win Scottish title
And while Ibrahim, like the vast majority of pros, is only focusing on his next fight and refusing to look past the fighter who will be standing in front of him tomorrow night, he admits that a potential clash with close friend Callen McAuley and a title defence against Taylor are both at the back of his mind.
He added: “I would love the Callen McAuley fight. He’s a good lad and we’ve trained together a lot and sparred hundreds of rounds together. If he wants to fight then I’m ready any day of the week. His team know my manager so they can get in touch.
“I get on really well with Callen but it’s business, so it’s a fight I would take.
“I really rate him highly. He’s one of the boys I’ve sparred with who I would put right up there as the best.
“I’ve got a rematch with Martin Taylor before the end of the year around November time so I’ll get that rematch out of the way and then see what happens after that.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here