People see me as the wee fat joker from Glasgow

moving up to heavyweight.

This evening, he has a huge opportunity – bigger even than Madison Square Garden in his eyes – when he takes part in Ultimate Boxxer, which will see eight fighters battle it out in Manchester for a £16,000 prize.

“I know every person on that roster sees me as the underdog but I don’t see myself as that,” said Carrigan-McFarlane, who is the youngest of the fighters. “On boxing ability, I’m the best in the tournament but my lack of discipline and lack of fitness is what puts me on a par with these guys.

“I fancy my chances. I’ve been drawn against the second favourite [the unbeaten Englishman, Mark Bennett], but that doesn’t faze me one bit. I have zero pressure. As soon as the bell to end the first round goes, he’ll start to panic I think because he’ll then realise what he’s facing.

“People see me as the wee fat joker from Glasgow who’s just coming for a laugh – which I am – but I’m also there to fight. And it’s going to be a shock to him when he realises what he’s up against.”

Carrigan-McFarlane – who is managed by Sam Kynoch – has talent, but he admits his work ethic can let him down. For a long time he was plagued by demons due to his Dominican Republic experience.

“I hadn’t let go of everything that had happened but then I did a documentary for Box Nation and I spoke about everything and that really helped me. When I let it all out, it was such a weight off my shoulders,” he said.

“It shaped me as a person. For a long while, it made me a bad person and I didn’t like the person I was. I was holding in a lot of anger but now, I’m happy.

“I know that me fit, there’s not many people who could live with me. But I can’t force myself to train. It’s like I’m two different people. It’s like the wee devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. The angel is telling me to train and the devil is telling me to carry on. The devil always wins.”

Carrigan-McFarlane doesn’t know what he can achieve, but he does know how he wants to be seen.

“I don’t see myself as the best boxer in the world, I see myself more as an entertainer,” he said. “My idol is Freddie Mercury, which is pretty unusual for a boxer.

“I’ll go as far as my discipline will take me, as far as I’ll allow myself to go. I want to leave this sport with my health. I’ll do it as long as I still love it.”