Farooq is aiming to lay down a marker

KASH fAROOQ insists he will put any potential rematch with Lee McGregor to the back of his mind ahead of his return to the ring this evening. farooq will fight on the undercard of the Conor Benn versus Samuel Vargas bout in London against Nicaraguan opponent Alexander Espinoza. It will be a first fight of 2021 for the Scottish bantamweight star, whose last outing came in November with a comprehensive points victory over Mexican Angel Aviles. McGregor, meanwhile, has scaled new heights after a stunning first-round stoppage of france’s Karim Guerfi last month clinched the European bantamweight crown. farooq and McGregor slugged it out in an epic encounter in Glasgow back in November 2019, which McGregor won with a contentious split decision. A rematch between two of the rising stars of Scottish boxing feels inevitable at some point. But, for now, farooq is focused on Espinoza. ‘I’ve seen videos of him and I’ve done my prep,’ said the 25-year-old. ‘He’s got 21 wins and has been in some good fights himself, so it’ll be a good fight for me to go out and showcase my skills. I’m in my own lane. I want to create my own path. I don’t really look too much at what Lee or other fighters are doing. I just want to focus on myself and what I want to achieve. ‘People talk about a potential rematch. But I don’t really look too much at that. I can only focus on myself. If I keep winning fights, the rest will take care of itself. ‘It is a very short career in this game. I don’t go on holidays or anything — I’m in the gym near enough every day of the year. ‘You’re lucky to get past 35 or years old in boxing. You’re getting punched in the head. To be honest, you don’t really want to be going on for too long. ‘You want to make your mark, get what you can from it and then get out.’ Now part of Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom stable, farooq added: ‘Eddie wants me to move towards world title shots at The Hydro. That’s the long-term plan. To pack out arenas in Scotland with big title fights. My job is obviously to keep my head down and keep winning. I just want to stay in the gym, dedicate myself and work hard every day.’