Kilburn boxer Matthew Chanda has his eyes on a English title fight within the next couple of months, and says this weekend’s bout with Luke Fash will provide him with the perfect preparation ahead of that.

The 30-year-old is unbeaten in his six professional bouts to date, most recently securing the Southern Area super-bantamweight title back in March after defeating Jamie Speight on a points decision.

Refreshed and re-energised, Chanda, whose wife recently gave birth to their second child, is relishing getting back into the ring on a bumper bill at York Hall on Saturday evening.

He told the Times: “I’m really looking forward to this fight.

“I’m up against someone of a similar height to me (5ft 3in) and that doesn’t happen often in this sport, so that should make it an interesting battle in itself.

“Luke Fash is a rough and tough fighter, it won’t be easy for me at all.

“I think he’ll be extra motivated to beat me as I’m the Southern Area champion. So it’s a big fight for him and a dangerous one for me on the other hand.

“His style is similar to Sean Davies (current English champion), so that should work to my advantage.

“I always say that I prefer facing as high quality fighters as possible, as that gets the very best out of me.

“I showed against Jamie Speight that I’m good enough and can mix it with the best in this division, so this Saturday should be another really good test for me.

“My body feels as fresh as it has ever been, and has the right mix of maturity, youth and experience, which will no doubt bode well for me in the future.

“It’s a good bill to be a part of. There’s a lot of up and coming talent fighting, so it should be a good night.”

He continued: “My promoter (Steve Goodwin) has a board meeting at the end of this week which will determine whether I am mandatory for the English title. All being well I should be facing Davies in September to contest that title.

“If that doesn’t go to plan I will look to defend my Southern Area title and then look to secure an English title and be knocking on the door for those Commonwealth and British bouts in the not too distant future.”

Chanda, who won two national novice titles, four London championships and a gold medal at the Haringey Box Cup during his amateur career, has paid tribute to his coach, Steve Kipps, under whose tutelage he has developed enormously as a fighter.

“I have an excellent working relationship with Steve, he gets the best out of me and vice versa,” said Chanda.

“He pushes me to my absolute maximum and that is where I produce my best results.

“When we first started working together he promised to turn me into a national amateur champion and then a professional one – and together we’ve done that.

“Now I’m more hungry for greater success though. I’m only 30 and I feel I have many more years in this sport ahead of me.”

He continued: “In the amateurs you’re training in a group and things can go unnoticed. You might miss a circuit or a press up or whatever, but it’s completely different when it’s one-to-one training.

“The sole focus is on you and making sure you give absolutely everything in each and every training session, so you can reap the rewards at the end of it.

“I’m naturally a very fit person, but with someone like Steve as a trainer he makes sure I am never complacent and leave no stone unturned.

“I’ve got a very supportive family too, they help me a lot, so I’m really excited about the future.”