Ealing boxer Mohammed “Manny” Safari made a winning start to his professional career with a fifth-round stoppage at the O2 Arena last week (17 October 2026)
The 19-year-old featherweight defeated Jake Pollard with the contest stopped two minutes and 15 seconds into the round.
Safari, who grew up in Ealing and attended Dormers Wells High School in Southall, was fighting for the first time since signing a long-term promotional agreement with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions.
His bout was on the undercard of Daniel Dubois’s WBO heavyweight title rematch against Fabio Wardley. Dubois retained his belt with a second-round stoppage.
Safari said: “It’s a dream come true to make my professional debut on such a big occasion and win by knockout.
“It’s been a long time coming and I’ve been training non-stop, so I’m eager to keep building momentum and get back out under the bright lights again very soon.
“A big thank you to my family, my team and Queensberry for the opportunity. Special appreciation to everyone who bought a ticket to support me as well. This is just the beginning.”
Safari’s management team hopes he will fight again before the end of the year, followed by several more appearances during 2027.
Dominic Mensah, a member of Safari’s management team at BXG, said: “I’m incredibly proud of Manny. To see him out there after the long process of turning professional and securing a promotional deal was surreal.
“It was a top performance to start a new chapter in a career that I truly believe will end with him becoming a world champion and a star of the sport.”
){kind=link}