Chichester fighter to set to take part in top-flight bare knuckle boxing match in Conor McGregor-owned promotion

The event, which will take place on August 10 at the Skydome in Coventry, is a first for the West Sussex fighter, who has never fought without gloves. But Mr Connelly says he’s unfazed by the new challenge, and believes his experience in boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts will see him through.

"I’ve been training for about 15 years. I started off with boxing, and then I met my coach Jack, and it all went from there. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do since school.”

Mr Connelly, who trains at Mad Hatters Asylum in Chichester, said martial arts gave him a vital sense of direction when he was younger: “I’ve always been drawn to the self-improvement side of it. You work at something and you get better and better. For me, I was always pretty quiet at school, but when I started training it built up my confidence. I feel like, when you have a fight , the rush is unreal. You just feel so alive.”

Come Saturday, when he steps into the ring against fellow up and comer Ryan Carmichael, Mr Connelly will be chasing that high on the biggest stage of his career so far. The action is set to take place on BKFC 64, an event headlined by 165lbs champion Connor Tierney as he faces off against undefeated challenger Johnny Graham. The promotion has previously hosted international talent like UFC veteran Mike Perry, viral Bellator star Michael ‘Venom’ Page, and made headlines when it was part-purchased by former UFC champion Conor McGregor earlier this year – so the stage is set for a real showdown.

But after earning his slot on the show at a tryout session earlier this year, Mr Connelly is sure he’s up to the task, and keen to tackle the new challenge. “For me, it’s just the purest form of fighting. It’s a test to see how I’d do in a real situation; boxing can feel like a sport, this is less about that; it’s like a proper scrap.”