Matty McHale will be all business when he steps into the ring tomorrow night looking to become British super-flyweight champion but in the meantime there’s still time for a bit of self-deprecating humour.

“It's a special belt for people to have,” says the Edinburgh boxer. “The Lonsdale belt is very prestigious, and you know what, it's one of the nicest looking belts out there.

“So that’s going to make it even better when I win it. Here’s one for you - I'll be the first ever Scottish flyweight to win the belt too. So that will put me in the history books. It will be great to have it around my waist. Maybe make that ugly face look a bit better, eh?”

McHale is full of such mischief but his pedigree is undeniable. Developed and moulded in the famous Lochend BC by legendary trainer Terry McCormack, comparisons have been made with Josh Taylor who also emerged from the same stable to become undisputed world champion.

McHale already has the Commonwealth silver title to his name but this is the belt he and McCormack have had their eyes on for a while. Facing the 28-year-old across the ring at the PlaySport Arena in East Kilbride will be Brandon Daord, the dangerous and also undefeated Scouser, in what will be the headline event of a stacked “Gladiators 2” card organised by the St Andrew’s Sporting Club and broadcast live on the BBC.

It is McHale’s biggest challenge to date in just his eighth professional fight but his belief is unshakeable after finally getting an opportunity he so desperately craves.

“You know, you keep asking yourself, why am I not getting this shot?” he wonders aloud. “I'm active, I'm training hard, I'm showing I want to be in big fights. But, you know what, it comes in its own time, you know? So we've waited and waited and now it's here.

“We need to take the opportunity, to be honest. It did feel for a while that people were avoiding me. I'm massive for the weight and folk maybe thought that I was big risk for little reward because I didn't have anything.

“And then I got the silver Commonwealth belt. And that helped open things up a bit. But it's all come in its own time. The stars are aligning.”

McHale was meant to fight on the first card at the home of the Caledonian Gladiators basketball franchise in October only for his opponent to withdraw late on. Naturally he’s keeping his fingers crossed there will be no such setbacks this weekend.

“I was meant to fight to defend my Commonwealth title on the last one,” he recalls, fresh after his final sparring session with British and Commonwealth champion, Nathaniel Collins. “And the day before the weigh-in I got bad news that my fight had been called off.

“I was on weight, you know? I had just wanted to stay active. And, honestly, just the life drained out of me when I heard the news. It was brutal. Twelve weeks of work and then nothing at the end of it.

“But hopefully this one all goes to plan. It should be absolutely phenomenal and it's a big deal getting made out of it. So it should as they’re bringing back life to Scottish boxing.”

McHale was part of the eight-strong Scotland boxing squad that went down to Birmingham for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, emerging with a bronze medal. There were golds for Reese Lynch, Sam Hickey and Sean Lazzerini, while Tyler Jolly also claimed a bronze. All of the medallists, and Stephen Newns too, are now taking their early steps into the pro ranks and McHale reveals the bond between them is as strong as ever.

“That team that we were on was absolutely fantastic,” he underlines. “And we’re going to show us well that, we could do it in the amateurs, and now we're going to do it in the professionals too. And it's great to see them all thriving as well. I'm really close with a lot of them and we’re in touch constantly about everything. So it's great to see that they're all doing well too.”

Victory here would push McHale further down the line in the pursuit of additional honours but there’s no desire on his part to look beyond the weekend.

“We're just going to take it one step at a time. I'm not bothered about any other belt right now. I just want this belt, the one I'm fighting for. At the minute, I'm in no rush to go here or there. All in its own time.”

With that it was back to his admin chores and sorting tickets for his ever-growing fanbase. And with that, a groan. “I would happily sprint than do all the ticket stuff. And I hate sprinting by the way,” he adds with another chuckle.