YORK boxer Michael Fafera has vowed that he has learned his lesson, after suffering a knockdown in his last bout.

Fafera returns to the ring on Friday, March 6 at Leeds' Elland Road Pavilion aiming to keep his undefeated professional reocrd in tact and to avoid a repeat of his last showing.

The light heavyweight was knocked down in the third of his four-round contest against Raimonds Sniedze back in November, though ultimately he came through as the winner via a 38-37 points decision.

For young up-and-coming prospects such as Fafera, the balancing act between boxing safely and fighting aggressively is difficult when their income can be largely reliant on the support of friends and family who pay to watch them box.

"In my last fight, I came out and I saw everybody at ringside and just thought 'I need to be good here,' said Fafera.

"But this is where the professionalism comes in and I have to be a professional.

"I need to not let the emotions get to me and to do my job right. That night could have easily gone wrong because of my emotions.

"I felt like I controlled the fight until that 20-second spell when he caught me with that shot.

"The positives from it is that I felt like I won the fight comfortably, apart from that spell. I can't take that good shot away from him.

"But, I've learned my lesson and it won't happen again.

"Even without Steve (Melton, trainer) telling me, I've now always got my hands up, even when we're doing the pads.

"What I've realised is that the lads that I'm fighting, they're all big lads and they can all punch. Some fighters at this weight can really hurt you with their shots.

"I know that I've got to have my hands up all of the time and not get cocky."

Fafera has competed at light heavyweight (175lbs) since he turned to the paid ranks back in September 2018 - since racking up six wins from as many fights.

Given the small hall status of the current shows he competes on, Fafera weighs in on the same day as his contests, unlike shows with title bouts or those that are televised, whose weigh in take place the day before fight night.

He believes that a move down to super middleweight (168lbs) may take place once he begins to box on the bigger stages.

"I couldn't agree with Steve anymore on dropping down in weight," he said.

"I make light heavyweight comfortably. When the time comes that I'm doing day before weigh ins then I'll be more than happy to drop down in weight.

"I think that 168lbs is definitely the weight for me. I think that I'd be big at that weight, which is an advantage for me.

"In the future, I may move back up, but we'll see happens.

"When you're fighting on shows with the same day weigh in, I'd struggle because I'd have to dehydrate to make that weight and then I'd be fighting only three hours later.

"That would be really tough. As soon as the shows get bigger and the fights get bigger, that's when you'll really see my best."

Asked for a prediction for March 6, Fafera replied: "I'll have my hands up, a tight guard and another win."

l To contact Fafera in regards to tickets or sponsorship, call him at 07597 156546 or call his trainer Stephen Melton at 07943 453638.