Bilal Fawaz: English boxing champion without a British passport

Small talk about a taxi ride is the beating heart of British chat – the soundtrack to thousands of journeys across London and beyond.

On a Sunday, a passenger might glance at the driver in the rearview mirror and ask the usual: “Have a nice weekend, buddy? Are you doing much?”

For 37-year-old Bilal Fawaz, the answer may be a little different from the usual traffic complaints or remarks about the rain.

“I became a British hero. And then I drove this Uber,” he intends to say, using the same casual tone he might use to discuss the North Circular bottleneck.

But for that conversation to happen, Fawaz must first get down to business on Saturday in Nottingham, where he challenges Ismael Davis for the prestigious British light-middleweight title.

In boxing, the story of the “working-class hero” – the athlete who still sticks to the nine-to-five – is a great marketing draw. But for Fawaz, there is no romance in this work.

“I’m an Uber driver. I’m a personal trainer. I’m a fitness trainer. I’m a professional boxer. That’s four jobs,” he told BBC Sport in Fight Week.

“I was working for Uber the day I got here. I trained customers before I left London. I pay for the car by subscription every week, and if I don’t work, the money goes out and nothing comes in.

“So on Sunday after the fight, when the kids are asleep, I’ll jump in the car, get 70 or 80 pounds, park it, sleep, drive them to nursery and train clients again.”

Fawaz is articulate and thoughtful, with a hint of theatrical flair that reflects his time at acting school.

But beneath this balance lie much heavier challenges than night shifts or 10-round fights. His battle began long before Nottingham – a childhood marked by abuse, years in the care system and a life spent proving he belonged.

BBC Sport first reported Fawaz’s story in 2018, then revisited it in 2022, yet he remains in limbo as an English hero still without a passport.