The honorary doctorate awarded last month is just the latest accolade in the glittering career of a Hackney boxer.

From working in McDonald's aged 19 to winning his first professional title at 25, Lawrence Okolie’s rise to the top was rapid.

An honorary doctorate of sport from the University of East London (UEL) has recognised his achievements inside and outside the ring.

He told students at a graduation ceremony at ExCel London on November 25 that "everyone has the power to change the world - so push on and keep striving".

Mr Okolie said: “Everyone here today has shown great resilience, perseverance and great character to actually get a degree. I want everyone here to know that you’re not only capable of getting to this point, as there is so much more out there in the world for you to go out and achieve.

“I believe that anyone who puts their mind to something and truly believes is going to go on and achieve amazing things.”

The 28-year-old cruiserweight is the defending WBO cruiserweight world champion, retaining the belt after knocking out Dilan Prašović in the third round of their bout in September at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In doing so he continued his perfect 17-0 record as a professional - 14 wins coming by knockout.

And it's not just sport - during the Covid-19 pandemic he released his debut single, TKO, and in April published his book Dare To Change Your Life.

Lawrence was born in Hackney to Nigerian parents, growing up in Stoke Newington.

A self-confessed foodie, he struggled with his weight and was bullied for his background.

“They were the two first hurdles I really had overcome as a young adult," he said. "Weight is obviously a personal battle between you and your food and your choices. And it's not an easy choice to make.”

In 2014, he enroled at UEL on the high performance sports scholarship programme, allowing him to focus on his boxing while doing a psychosocial studies course with a view to becoming a social worker.

He said the course's flexibility helped him get where he wanted to be in his boxing career.

“My lectures all understood what was going on and were extremely helpful when I needed to, for example, take time out to go do strength and conditioning," he said. "That really helped me get into the professional mindset and routine.”