Knightswood boxing star Kash Farooq has signed a huge multi-fight deal with promotion giants Matchroom Boxing.
The 23-year-old bantamweight put the controversial Lee McGregor defeat behind him to agree a contract with Eddie Hearn’s company, which boasts global superstars including Anthony Joshua on its books.
The Knightswood fighter tasted defeat for the first time in his professional career last month in a heavily-debated bout against McGregor, billed as the most anticipated Scottish domestic clash for decades.
Despite dominating over the 12-rounds, Farooq was on the wrong end of a controversial judges scorecard which handed Edinburgh fighter McGregor the win and ripped away his own British belt.
Rather than dwelling on the loss, the 23-year-old bantamweight star quickly put the disappointment behind him and is now reaping the benefits after signing a deal that will see him link up with Eddie Hearn, Sky Sports and DAZN.
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“Eddie first contacted my manager about a week and a half after the McGregor fight,” Farooq told Matchroom. “It was really exciting to hear that Eddie was watching my fight, he thought that I won the fight as well. I’m really excited to be part of the team now and I can’t wait to get started under the Matchroom Boxing banner.
“Going into the McGregor fight, he was always the bigger name, everyone knew who he was down south. I surprised a lot of people with my style. I proved that I’m a threat at the weight. I was really confident going into the fight and I thought I did enough to win. I put on a great performance but it just went the other way. I’ve just got to move on. This is boxing and things like that happen all the time.
“For me it’s all about moving on, keeping my head up and not letting things like that keep me down. I would love to get the rematch, but do I think it’s going to happen in the next fight? No. I would love it down the line somewhere, though. Now it’s all about winning and getting better and better every fight.
“I’m always learning. You only stop learning once you retire. I’ll get better every fight and this is just the start for me. New fans can expect a fan friendly style from me, a clever style. You’ll see something different, that’s all I can say.”
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On the books at one of boxing’s biggest promotion company’s, along with the likes of WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua, 2020 now promises to be even more exciting for Farooq who will be looking to return to winning ways and play his part in some massive nights for boxing in the UK.
Hearn, Matchroom Boxing managing director, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Kash to the team. He is a special talent that really impressed me last time out and I believe he has so much potential in the sport.
“He will be back in a title fight in the spring and I look forward to many exciting fights with him in Scotland and around the world.”
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