Undefeated Aberdeen boxer Gregor McPherson has trained with a former world champion in Spain in preparation for his ring return after injury.
The 20-year-old is set to face former WBC Youth World Lightweight champion Rajesh Kumar of India at the Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen on Saturday.
The six-round clash will be McPherson’s first fight since suffering a collapsed lung during the summer that required emergency surgery.
It was the second time in a year the Aberdonian was hit by the injury having also endured the collapse of his other lung in October 2023.
McPherson is fully recovered and has trained in Alicante with former two-weight world champion Kiko Martinez.
Ring legend Martinez, 38, held the IBF world featherweight title and the IBF world super-bantamweight titles.
During the Spanish training camp McPherson, aka ‘Mean Machine’, sparred with former European super-featherweight champion Juanfe Gomez.
McPherson, who boasts a flawless pro record of six wins from six fights, also sparred with Spanish champion Bube Justin.
He said: “Kiko is a former world champion and you can’t get better preparation than working with him.
“I learned so much from my time in Spain such as different tricks and movement with my feet.
“Also I learned from how they fight and train as they don’t take much shots.
“It is always a learning game for me.
“It was mainly a sparring camp in Spain and and quite intense.”
Advice from former world champion
Martinez retired last year with a professional record of 44 wins (31 KO), 12 losses (5 KO) and two draws.
He retired as European champion having won the featherweight title with a fifth round stoppage of Jordan Gill.
McPherson has been training and sparring with the Spanish boxing great since he was one of the hottest amateurs in Scottish boxing.
He said: “The first time I met Kiko I was 17.
“I went over to Spain for an amateur tournament but it was cancelled.
“So I went and sparred in a local gym which happened to be Kiko’s.
“I went up against his sparring partner and did well against him.
“Then Kiko wanted to spar me.
“When you are a boxer it is a dream to spar a world champion.
“We had a really good spar and then went on from there to become sparring partners and good friends.
“Kiko also gives me advice as he will look at my opponent and tell me what he thinks.
“Kiko and Juanfe are really good at helping me out.”
Bouncing back from collapsed lung
McPherson will make his ring comeback on the undercard of Dean Sutherland’s BBBofC super-welterweight Celtic title defence against Fraser Wilkinson.
The Celtic title clash is also an eliminator for the British and Commonwealth titles.
Having recovered from his collapsed lung nightmare McPherson will fight for the first time in six months when facing Kumar.
McPherson’s previous fight was an impressive 60-54 win against Mexican Christian Lopez Flores at the Beach Ballroom in May.
He said: “I sustained an injury in August but have bounced back from that.
“When the injury first happened I wasn’t sure about November.
“But now I’m back in training I feel in great shape and more confident than ever.
“I’m ready to go.”
McPherson aims to rise up rankings
Opponent Kumar, from Bhiwani, India, boasts a professional record of 16 wins (7KO), three losses (2 KO) and one draw.
Kumar, 30, won the WBC Youth World Lightweight title in 2018 with a unanimous decision against Glenn Enterina after 10 rounds.
McPherson said: “I’m 6-0 and now it is time to make that step forward and get better fights to try to get my name up there in the rankings.
“And hopefully earn some big fights in the future.
“He has a really good record with 16 win from 19 fights, with seven knock-outs.
“He is a former youth WBC world lightweight champion so he is at that level where he is competing with big names.
“This will be a good fight for me and a step up in my career.
“I’m confident in my own ability and feel like if I perform the best I can nothing can stop me on the night.”
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