HAMILTON the football team has never been short of scrappers, the likes of Dougie Imrie and Darian Mackinnon always willing to go toe to toe with an opponent.

That fighting spirit appears to be prevalent in the town itself, with many of those appearing on the bill of tonight’s Rise of the Champions outdoor boxing event at New Douglas Park hailing from the surrounding area.

Among them is Jordan Grant. Born and raised a thumping Martin Canning clearance away from the stadium, the 23 year-old sheepishly admits that his football team of choice play in blue in Glasgow rather than the Accies.

But the chance to compete in his hometown in front of family and friends was always going to be too good to turn down, especially when it’s the first boxing event in Scotland since before the pandemic and the first card to be held outdoors since Mike Tyson’s infamously fleeting appearance at Hampden in 2000.

Throw in the fact that there are going to be three title fights all broadcast live on boxing channel Fightzone, then it adds up to a special night for Scottish boxing.

No wonder Grant is eager to be a part of it as he prepares to face journeyman Scott Williams.

“I can’t wait for this one,” said the Kynoch Boxing light-heavyweight. “The fact that it’s in Hamilton is perfect and it’s come at the right time for me.

“It’s great to have boxing back in Scotland again. And the fact that it’s outdoors just adds a wee extra bit to the occasion.

“I think this is going to be the start of more outdoor fights in Scotland. It would obviously have to be in the summer given the weather we get the rest of the year.

“And it would need to be feasible so the promoters can make it work and make money. But I don’t see why once the rest of the restrictions are lifted that we can’t get more folk in.

“Accies holds 6000 and you could easily fill that if you got another stacked card like this one so let’s hope this is the start of something.

“It feels quite surreal actually. I was in the gym one day with my manager Sam [Kynoch] and coach Gerry [Higgins] and Sam said he was looking for a venue. And we suggested Accies as we had a connection to the chairman there and it just went from there. Accies were all for it and now it’s happening.

“I’ve been in Hamilton all my life and used to stay two minutes from the stadium. So I’ve always been close to the club.

“I’m actually a Rangers fan but I used to go to watch Accies a few times and would always support them against other teams. So I know the ground pretty well.

“It’s going to be a great night. I’ve been working hard for four months now so I want to get the win and then go and spend time with the family.”

Around 2000 fans are expected and Grant reckons that atmosphere will make a big difference to the fighters.

“I’ve sold quite a few tickets and it will be good to see some familiar faces, all the people that have supported you to get to this point.

“There’s going to be plenty folk from Hamilton there as there’s a lot of us from around here on the bill – Kevin Duris who’s making his pro debut, Ben McGivern is from Coatbridge, my sparring partner David Jamieson is from East Kilbride and Nathaniel Collins, who’s topping the bill, is from Hamilton as well. So the area is really well represented.

“The fact that it’s on Fightzone also means we’re all getting a bit of extra exposure from folk tuning in to that.”

This is only Grant’s fourth professional fight but he’s no stranger to a bit of razzmatazz. The 23 year-old’s previous contest was against Tommy Fury, half-brother of Tyson and one-time Love Island star.

And although he lost that one, there are no regrets after taking the fight at short notice.

“A family friend had put me in touch with Tommy for sparring and it escalated from there,” added Grant. “They offered me the fight but then only confirmed it was happening the Wednesday beforehand. So it wasn’t a long time to prepare – my head was birling!

“But I enjoyed the experience apart from the result. I didn’t feel out of place in the bubble beforehand and when I was in the ring and Frank Warren was there I just felt comfortable.

“That’s where I’m meant to be and that's the level I want to get to now. It puts extra fire in my belly going forward. I know what I can achieve if I keep working hard and improving.”