Kash Farooq is the new World Boxing Council international silver bantamweight champion after a unanimous points decision victory over Alexander Espinoza on Saturday night.

The Knightswood boxer picked up a comfortable win, 97-93, 97-95 and 97-94 on the judges’ scorecards over the Nicaraguan at the Copper Box in London on the undercard of the Conor Benn v Samual Vergas main event.

The 25-year-old was in action for the first time since November, when he defeated Angel Aviles for the WBA’s continental bantamweight title at Wembley Arena.

Espinoza, who had a record of 20-2 heading into the fight, was defending his title for the first time after winning it in September.

But Farooq dominated throughout the 10 rounds and received plaudits for his exciting, quick and sometimes unpredictable style as he rocked his opponent with quick jabs and straight right hands.

Espinoza tried to make more of an impact on the fight in the final rounds, and left the Scot with a nasty cut over his right eye, but it was too late to make any sort of impact on the judges’ scorecards.

The Renfrew Boxing Club star said he knew he was going to be in for a difficult contest but was delighted his hard work paid off.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “I’m over the moon with the performance. I knew it was going to be a tough fight.

“He took some really heavy shots and he kept coming because when you’re a champion you don’t want to give it up. I wasn’t going to be denied.

“There’s a lot of hard work in the gym and practice, practice, practice. That’s what it comes down to.

“I’ve been working on this for such a long time. It just comes second nature and I can see his punches coming and what he’s going to throw.”

Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Promoter, was full of praise for Farooq and hinted that a rematch with Lee McGregor be on the cards.

McGregor won a controversial fight by split decision in 2019 in what is Farooq’s only career defeat to date.

Hearn said: “At that division it’s so tough to win a world title and he’s still going to have to improve.

“He still took too many shots but my goodness is he great to watch.

“I know the dream is to win a world title but I can’t help saying we have to see the Lee McGregor rematch.

“That fight sells out the Hydro in Glasgow every single day of the week and that fight should be in a position to get the winner of that for a world title.”