by James Bovington
Leeds bare knuckle boxer Jonny Graham fights for the lightweight BKFC UK title on a show at the Manchester Arena on 27 September.
It’s his fourth bout with international promotion BKFC and credits a weekly training session in Armley as ‘the best way for a fighter to retain and develop his fitness.’
“The 161 steps in Armley Park aren’t called ‘the killer steps’ for nothing,” he said. “There’s a group of us who run up, down and around the steps every Saturday at 10.30am irrespective of the weather.
“It takes half an hour. It puts us through our paces.”
In fact quite a number of sports clubs in west Leeds use the steps as a challenge as do many local people as part of a personal fitness routine.
Thirty-seven-year-old father of two Graham lives in Oulton but hails from Hunslet.Â
“I won my first two bare knuckle bouts including my debut on their Leeds show in April 2023. A year ago, I boxed for the welterweight title in Coventry but lost to Connor Tierney. Â
“I’m also busy with my own gym, A Side, which is opening in Normanton later this month. It’ll be one of the first purpose-built bare-knuckle gyms in Britain.”
Graham grew up as an amateur boxer and won most of his 33 bouts as a teenager. In his early twenties he enjoyed a two-year professional career as a gloved fighter winning his five professional bouts.
“For various reasons I didn’t carry on, but I’m determined to make a success of my return to fighting. That lightweight title’s coming to Leeds.
“Anyone who thinks they can keep up with us, just meet us at the steps in Armley Park any Saturday morning. But not on 27 September as I’ll be in Manchester. Winning.”
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