WHEN Lee McGregor first entered the professional boxing ranks, he was striving for success purely for himself. These days however, it’s a different story.

Yesterday, McGregor’s daughter, Maddison, turned one year old and it is the prospect of providing for his family that drives him on each and every day.

So when the 22-year-old enters the ring in Glasgow tomorrow evening to take on his compatriot Kash Farooq for the British and Commonwealth titles, he will have that desire to make his daughter proud in the forefront of his mind.

“Everything I do now is for my little girl. It’s to make sure she has a good life and she’s a happy girl,” he said.

“Saturday is no different. I have a family to provide for now and that’s my motivation.

“It’s changed my outlook. I was a young boy two years ago making my pro debut and looking good. Everyone was talking about me. I was loving it and I was soaking up the attention and enjoying it. Now I’ve got a daughter, I’ve got a responsibility lying on my shoulders.

“In a way it’s an extra pressure, you could say that. But take each fight as it comes and I just put it all into my training.”

This is only McGregor’s eighth professional fight and so in comparison to Farooq, who has fought 13 times as a pro, is relatively inexperienced. But the Edinburgh fighter has a wealth of experience as an amateur behind him and so believes that will stand him in good stead and ensure he comes out on top, with the victory acting as a platform for bigger fights to come his way in the future.

“This has been my hardest camp by a country mile. It’s been 12 or 13 weeks of pain. I couldn’t explain, you’d just have to watch me in the gym and you’d understand,” he said.

“It’s been really tough but I’m ready physically and mentally. I’m in the best place I could be. I firmly believe I’ll win this fight and move onto bigger and better things and life seems to be getting better and better.”

With McGregor the current Commonwealth title holder and Farooq in possession of the British title, as well as both being unbeaten, there is much on the line.

This fight has been touted as the biggest all-Scottish fight in years, with the Emirates Arena sold out and the hype has been building for weeks. The match-up has attracted comparisons between former world champion Alex Arthur’s battles with Willie Limond and Craig Docherty and while it is somewhat unusual for fighters to take on such a challenge so early in their career, McGregor reveals he has never hesitated taking on tough opponents. And having the British title on the line made him even keener to accept the match-up.

“I’m fearless. I’m not scared to lose. That’s why I have had the success I have and the recognition I am getting. I have proved I am willing to fight anybody and I mean that. Fighters say that and they don’t back it up. I fought for the Commonwealth title in my fifth fight so there’s not many that do that. I am now fighting for the British and Commonwealth titles in Scotland’s biggest fight in more than a decade in my eighth fight so it doesn’t happen often,” he said.

“These are the kind of fights you want to be involved in as a fighter - I don’t understand fighters that don’t want to be involved in these kind of nights but believe me, there are boxers out there who would rather not do it.

“The British title is something I always wanted to win as a young kid, as was the Commonwealth.

It wasn’t really the Commonwealth title I used to watch back then. The British title was so prestigious. Me and my dad would sit in the house when I was younger and my dad would say ‘I’d love you to win that belt, son’.

I’m two days away from doing it so it would mean everything.”

McGregor is close friends with Josh Taylor, who became unified light welterweight champion a fortnight ago, meaning he is away on a well-deserved holiday and so will not be ringside for Saturday’s fight. McGregor is confident though that the pair will be meeting for some celebratory drinks very soon.

“I’ve spoken to him since his fight - and we’ve been texting regularly,” he said.

“He’s gutted he can’t come on Saturday but we’ll get a well-earned catch-up after Saturday. I’ll be making sure we celebrate two victories.”