It has been quite a year for a former AFC Youth Academy player who is now making his way in the world of boxing.
Gregor McPherson from Aberdeen claimed the WBC Youth Intercontinental super lightweight title earlier this month, his first professional belt.
The 21-year-old, known as the ‘The Mean Machine’, beat Riad Kunushefci at the city’s Beach Ball at the start of the month and now has an undefeated record of 11 wins from 11 fights.
The belt has been held by some of the biggest names in boxing. Danny Garcia won the WBC Youth Intercontinental title at the same weight before going on to claim the WBC world title, Jamaine Ortiz later fought for a world title, and Adam Azim won a European championship.
“It was the biggest fight of my career so far,” said Gregor. “And it went to plan. Straight from the start, I put the pressure on him. We thought he was going to tire out, so I wanted to start off strong and put him on the backfoot. That is exactly what I did. There was a knock down in the second round, a knock down in the sixth and the eighth. To me, it was one sided. I did not feel in trouble at any time. We got the game plan spot on.
“If you have a skilled fighter in front of you, they can adapt, and it can be very hard. But when the game plan is going well, it makes you relax and be more confident. Nothing is going to stop you.
“I was blessed to have had the opportunity to fight for a WBC belt at just 21 years old. If I could put it into the perspective of a footballer, it would be like Aberdeen winning the cup. Normally the day after a fight, you come back to normality but I am still on a high from winning the belt, because it is such a well known organisation and a beautiful belt.
“There are some world champions who have won the belt and a few up and coming guys who are going on to World titles or European belts. It is a great way to get your name in the mix. There are a lot of names who have won this belt who have gone on to have great success in the sport. I’m hoping to do the same.
“I was not too nervous. I am only human and you have to have some nerves, but working with mindset coaches and other people, it helped a lot. I went into the fight confident, I was eager to get in the ring and put a show on for everyone.
“The mental side is very important in any sport, but especially boxing. In the past, I would be my worst enemy. Working on the mindset of how I go into a fight, and what I do if things don’t go my way, that really paid off. A month before, we really locked in on that. It helped massively. As I say, I was calm and I was trying things I probably would not have done before.”
Gregor has also played on the football field with a few well known names.
“I started off as a pro-youth player at Aberdeen. I played with Dylan Lobban, he was moved up an age group to our team. I also played with Jack Milne and Ryan Duncan, amongst others who have made it in the game.
“I played centre mid, and sometimes got put to left-back. Once I hit about 13, 14, I fell out of love with football a bit. I was losing interest. It was nothing to do with the club or the team, it was just the enjoyment was not there for me. I wanted to try something different.
“My dad was a boxer, so I also did some boxing with him and with the pads. When I was playing football, I was always really small, so to get a bit of strength I went to the boxing club to try and make sure I did not get pushed off the ball. I then did some sparring, and after that I was hooked. I knew that was what I wanted to do.
“My dad was keen for me to take my time before making the decision, but he fully supported it. With football, with boxing, he is always there. I am blessed to have him in my corner, so he shares all the success I get as a professional boxer.”
The title fight was extra special due to the setbacks Gregor has faced. Like many sports people, he has endured a number of injuries, and his were particularly serious for a boxer.
In September 2024, he had to undergo emergency surgery after suffering a collapsed lung. It was the second time he had endured the injury inside a year, as his other lung had collapsed in October 2023. He also suffered a stress fracture to the spine in 2023 that ruled him out for 10 weeks.
“I had a blow to my lungs in both 2023 and 2024, they collapsed. I missed a couple of fights and that affected my fitness. But I’m now back to where I was before. I feel fitter and stronger than ever. It was a worrying time but the doctors assured me if was safe to get into a boxing ring again.
“Just like any sportsperson, you don’t know what’s around the corner. I was building up some good momentum and it was such a shock. You start asking yourself, ‘Is that my career over?’ But you need to stay mentally strong and believe in yourself. The surgery went well and there is no looking back.”
To get back on track, there has been as enormous amount of dedication and hard work needed, with plenty of sacrifices along the way.
“We did a fitness test and it proved I was one of the fittest athletes in Scotland. That gave me another confidence boost going into fights, knowing I have the engine to do the full 8, 10 or 12 rounds.
“But to get to that level, there are so many things that people don’t see. Dieting, for example. I need to watch what I am eating at all times. I have a nutrition team and they are excellent. I am eating far more than I would before, with little tweaks to my diet, more protein – steak, chicken, fish, more veg. You can feel it in training and fights. That little 1 or 2 percent makes a difference.
“During camp, I will have lots of carbs, such as potatoes for example. The week of the fight, we cut out all the carbs to get the weight off. So for a 12 week camp, I would eat really big potions for 11 weeks and then the last week, that is the week of terror! That is when you get hungry and you need to cut the water weight. It is only for a week though.
“The weigh in will take place normally the day before, and after that you can refuel. We go straight to Nando’s! That is a ritual. The next day you get some protein in and start to snack as the fight draws closer.
“I have never drunk alcohol. I have never had fizzy juice or pizza. There are family meals that I miss, family events and engagements. It is very tough at times, sometimes you are starving, you are tired, but you just need to get on with it. Some days you can’t be bothered with it, but they are the days that count the most.
“In preparation for the fight, I took part in an intensive training camp in Spain, I stayed in a villa that has two boxing rings, a strength and conditioning area, and a swimming pool. I sparred with boxers with a lot of different styles, some heavier than me, really mixing it up. I sparred against Juanfe Gomez, who had a big fight coming up. I also sparred with a few guys heavier than me. It all ensured I could be really tested and sharp. All the hard work and sacrifices are worth it when you win.”
So what does 2026 and beyond hold for Gregor?
“The next fight, we are looking around March time, and we will see what is on the table. Hopefully another belt to add to the collection and hopefully another successful year.
“I want to win belts and do my city proud. It is a dream of any boxer to sell out a football stadium in their hometown. It would be the dream to fight at Pittodrie one day.
“I can’t thank the people of Aberdeen enough for their support. Wherever we go, there is always a good crowd that follows me. The support is amazing.”
