Johnny Fisher is far from flawless, and he never pretends to be. The charismatic "Romford Bull" has tasted defeat when he entered the ring expecting victory, and there have been moments when a routine tune‑up bout has devolved into a full‑blown brawl. Yet, alongside those setbacks lies a powerful equaliser.

Fisher is undeniably a heavy‑handed puncher, and he is steadily refining the way he channels that raw strength. He also understands a fundamental truth about heavyweight boxing: when you’re dealing with men of such size and power, any single punch can swing the outcome. The same reality that can hand a fighter a crushing loss also creates the opportunity for an underdog to spring a surprise upset.

Even the most promising prospects can be caught off‑guard, while a lower‑ranked heavyweight can suddenly find himself on top. "There’s something special about the boxing world where two big gentlemen go into the ring and they really lay it all bare for everyone to see. So that’s why people tune in," Fisher explained to Sky Sports.

"Enjoy the journey, enjoy the ride. That’s all it is.

My ride might end with me fighting for an English title or a British title or having a big fight at the Copper Box against a hard opponent and it falling all apart, but I’ll give 110 percent every single time. That’s what it’s about." On Saturday night, Fisher will step into the Copper Box Arena for a live Sky Sports showdown against Belgium’s Michael Pirotton. Pirotton has suffered two defeats, both at the hands of unbeaten opponents, and unlike Fisher he has never been knocked down or stopped.

Fisher, however, believes that his own setbacks will ultimately make him stronger. "If it was easy, there’d be a lot more blokes doing it," he said. "All of those little knocks, those cuts and those scars – they can build you. Don’t let them break you, let them build you." The atmosphere at the Copper Box will be charged by Fisher’s devoted "Romford Bull Army," a fanbase that provides a unique kind of encouragement.

Pirotton may hope to use that crowd pressure against the local hero, but Fisher is confident it won’t affect his performance. "It’s dealing with the pressure of big circumstances. I’ve been in front of arenas of thousands of people for a long time now, so I can deal with that," he noted. "When you hear that roar you can either let it overtake your brain and frazzle it, or you can channel everything.

You’ve just got to channel it and use it to focus you. That roar, when you hear it, is like a genuine roar and they make noise throughout the whole fight." For Fisher, the pressure isn’t the crushing kind you might imagine. He knows the crowd is behind him regardless of the result, which actually lightens the burden.

"You’ve got to view it as a privilege that these people come out and support you," he said. "These people are really genuine and they want to see me do well. They turn out no matter what. So that adds another level of a different pressure.

I’ve been wrestling with that thought in my head. It’s a bit of an oxymoronic thought." He is eager to demonstrate the evolution of his ringcraft, but he also declares an end to the need for external validation.

"I’m done with the days of trying to prove myself to anyone. Who am I trying to prove anything to? To try and impress human beings you’re doing the wrong thing. All you’ve got to do is live life the way you think you should live it and be kind to people, give people enjoyment, give people entertainment and be a genuine person and try your hardest.

Try your best and that’s all you can do." On the undercard, Craig Richards will face Radivoje "Hot Rod" Kalajdzic in a ten‑round light‑heavyweight clash that serves as the main support act for the Fisher‑Pirotton headline. Both fighters have competed at the sport’s elite level. Kalajdzic previously challenged Artur Beterbiev for the IBF world title in 2019 and, in his most recent bout, rose from the canvas twice to stop former champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk. Richards, meanwhile, shared the ring with Dmitry Bivol in 2021 – a performance that looks even more impressive now that Bivol has cemented his status as the undisputed champion of the division.

Richards reflected on his bout with Bivol: "The biggest thing I learned from that fight was I was a little disappointed that I didn’t go through the gears as much as I could. You saw the interview before the Beterbiev first fight and they asked: ‘Who was your hardest fight?’ He [Bivol] said: ‘Actually a guy, Craig Richards, from England.’ He said: ‘It looks like it wasn’t that to you lot, but there was a lot of thinking going on in there.’ I think sometimes as a boxer there’s so much that comes into account rather than just trading punches.

Timing, traps, IQ – at that elite level you understand what’s happening and they understand what’s happening." Richards also voiced his desire for another shot at the champion. "I saw Bivol a couple of years ago and he said to me: ‘I know I’m going to see you again,’ and I said to him: ‘100 percent.’ He knows we’re going to meet again," he told Sky Sports. "I want to fight the very best because that’s where I feel I belong. If I leave this sport and I don’t show everyone how good I am, it will be very disappointing." Fans can catch the full action of Johnny Fisher versus Michael Pirotton as the headline of Zuffa Boxing 11, broadcast live on Sky Sports from 7 p.m.

at the Copper Box Arena.