Boxing: Sandy Ryan becomes double weight champion with hard-fought points win in Nottingham

Earlier in the night, Bilal Fawaz became the British and Commonwealth light middleweight champion by knocking out Ismael Davis in a close contest.

Davis, 30, started well and landed the sharpest, cleanest punches with Fawaz guilty of too much showmanship and theatrics.

But Fawaz (37 years old) increased his shooting and took advantage in the second half when Davis felt tired.

The judges scored the scores 114-114, 115-113 and 115-114.

Nigerian-born Fawaz adds British and Commonwealth titles to his collection, although he continues to struggle for a British passport and is currently unable to fight or travel abroad.

Fawaz, who was trafficked to the UK as a teenager and after surviving a traumatic start to life, is now a married father of two, and also works as an Uber driver.

He said, “I know that I am 37 years old and I do not have much time. If I do not take advantage of what I have now, my dream will fade away. This is just the beginning, I am ready. I want everything.”

“It’s exciting. It’s overwhelming.”

“I am not a local fighter,” he said. “It’s just that no one gave me a chance, Eddie [Hearn] He gave me a chance and I’ve proven him right ever since.

“Now I need to earn some money and feed my family.”

Without a passport, Fawaz cannot travel abroad to accept any world title opportunity outside of the UK.

Promoter Eddie Hearn added: “Get this guy a passport.”

Also on the undercard in Nottingham, Molly McCann claimed her third professional win by defeating Beata Dudek, while teenagers Leo Atang and Tiah-Mae Ayton continued their unbeaten run.

Atang, 19, stopped heavyweight Dan Garber within a minute to make it five from five, and Ayton, also 19, went the distance for the first time in her fifth bout, beating Catherine Taccone-Ramos on points.

Popular heavyweight Dave Allen returned to his winning ways by stopping Karim Bergim in the first round. The 33-year-old from Doncaster lost to Russian Arslanbek Mahmudov – who is scheduled to face Tyson Fury in April – in his last bout.