A FIGHTER who is competing for a world title has pledged to give his winnings to the young son of a friend who took his own life.

Gaz Corran, a mixed martial arts fighter with 40 fights and 38 wins under his belt, is due to take on Australian Commonwealth bare knuckle boxing champion, Antony Dunn-Skrypek at a highly-anticipated bout in Manchester on July 27.

And Mr Corran, who is from Darwen, said if he wins, he’ll donate the prize money to the son of Ryan Hammond, a close friend who was found dead in his Darwen home in March.

Mr Corran, 38, who has been fighting for more than 20 years, said: “This will be a real challenge for me as I’ve never had a bare knuckle boxing fight before.

“And if I win this I win a world title.

“My last fight was about 18 months ago so I’ve had to train really hard for this. I’ve been training three times a day, eating healthily and making sure I’m at peak fitness.”

Mr Corran said if he wins this fight, which will be televised on Sky Sports, he will have the chance to fight in America, which will be massive for him.

He said: “This is a big one for me. The prize money is great and I’ve decided that if I win, I’ll be giving my money away to the son of a good friend of mine.

“Ryan Hammond took his own life a few months ago and I want to make sure his little boy has a good start in life.

“If there’s anyone who wants a ticket for the fight or wants to sponsor me then they should visit the Bare Fist Boxing Association on Facebook.”

Mr Corran will be fighting for the world title on Saturday July 27 at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester.