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Rising boxing star Mark Davies will be looking to extend his flawless professional record to eight wins later this month.

The 26-year-old from Abertridwr recently beat Ukrainian fighter Anatolii Burdiian in Denmark, and will now head to Gloucester on Saturday March 29 looking to continue his fine form.

But while Davies prepares for the fight, he continues to give back to the sport that helped shape him – dedicating four nights a week to train youngsters at Caerphilly Boxing Club, where he himself used to fight as an amateur.

Balancing his own preparation with training the youngsters takes dedication however. His day usually begins with a morning run at 5am before heading to work.

Once his workday is done, he heads straight to the gym for his own intense training session – with no rest in between.

He then takes a shower before helping coach Jon Scriven with the amateur class. On some evenings, he takes part in a strength and conditioning class before heading home at around 7pm.

From there, Davies eats his dinner and grabs an early night, ready to do it all over again the next day.

Explaining the driving force behind him, Davies said: “I love doing what I do.

“Giving back to the youngsters and knowing that I inspire them, that they see me as their hero, just motivates me even more.”

He continued: “Right now, I’m so in love with the sport – it feels like when I first started out years ago.

“I’m excited to get to the gym every day, and a huge part of that is down to my coach, Jon Scriven. He’s been there since day one, always had my best interests at heart, and kept me grounded and level-headed.”

Coach Scriven, who in another life is a Caerphilly County Borough councillor, has played a big part in Davies’ development over the years.

“Mark has been an absolute pleasure to train – he’s a coach’s dream,” Coach Scriven said.

“I’m so proud of the way he’s turned out. He’s not only an inspiration inside the ring but also outside of it.

“The way he works with and inspires the younger boxers at the club is something special. He even gives up his weekends to come and support them in their own fights.

“I wish him all the very best for his fight on March 29.”

Tickets to see Davies’ fight are available and can be bought by contacting Davies directly through social media, or by visiting Caerphilly Boxing Club – which is open after 4.30pm from Mondays to Thursdays.