MOHAMMED Subhaan admits to being frustrated by his hometown of Bradford, as he feels boxing’s potential in the city is not being unlocked.

He went 7-0 for his professional career last Friday after a first-round knockout win in a welterweight bout against journeyman Stefan Vincent.

That took place in Barnsley, with all seven of Subhaan’s professional fights so far having been in South Yorkshire.

The young talent is acutely aware of that fact, and lamented: “My dream is to fight in my hometown and bring big boxing nights back to Bradford.

“I feel like it’s something that’s been lacking for the past few years and I want to be someone who inspires everyone around me.

“I want to be part of those big nights here, putting on big performances, as I think Bradford needs that.”

Asked why he feels the boxing scene in Bradford has taken a hit of late, Subhaan said: “People lack belief in themselves.

“There’s a lot of boxing talent in Bradford, but I’ve noticed people don’t back themselves here and others don’t encourage them enough.

“I want to be an example of someone who follows through with the sport and takes his career to a high level professionally.

Mohammed Subhaan had to graft in the amateur boxing ranks before having his first professional fight in September 2022.Mohammed Subhaan had to graft in the amateur boxing ranks before having his first professional fight in September 2022. (Image: UGC.)

“I want people to realise that if they have confidence in themselves, they can go all the way.

“Hopefully, if I bring these big nights back to Bradford, they’ll be able to see an example of that in front of them.”

And Subhaan is certainly going the right way about getting his name out there, with last Friday being just his second victory by knockout, in double-quick time too.

He said: “I was really happy with the win because I’ve been working really hard and that showed everyone what I’m all about.

“I’ve always had that stopping power and hand speed, it was just about showing it on the big stage.

“My first few fights, I got a lot of experience against some decent opposition and I got rounds under my belt.

“But Friday night felt like it was time to really show a bit of my power and finishing ability.”

So far in his fledgling professional career, Subhaan has managed to get fights under his belt once every four or five months, which has allowed him to progress smoothly and impressively.

He is wary of getting too ahead of himself though, saying: “I want to be an active fighter, because I’ve worked hard my whole life to have this career and I just want to move up that ladder as quickly as possible.

“But my team want me to get through this year, and I have already got a potential fight lined up late next month against a decent Mexican opponent.

“With each bout, the level will increase, but I feel like after my 10th fight is when I want to start challenging for proper titles and facing better opposition.”