MATTHEW Moore is excited about going toe to toe with a knockout specialist next weekend. The Faringdon fighter raced to a quick win on his bareknuckle boxing debut last October and faces another big hitter at the O2 Arena a week on Saturday (September 16).

He meets Danylo Hrebeniuk, a 22 year old from the Ukraine who has won national honours in both kickboxing and amateur boxing. And he has also proved to be a knockout specialist in the professional gloved ring, winning three of his four fights inside two rounds. Hrebeniuk has also won five and drawn one of seven bareknuckle boxing fights – but Moore reckons he has the beating of him.

He said: “I’m excited. This is a proper fight. “I’ve watched a couple of his fights and he’s aggressive, but it looks like he can box and counter punch as well. “He’s going to be a handful. “But, watching his fights, some of his opponents didn’t look they were the fittest , so I’m looking to put it on him and see how he copes.” That tactic worked on Moore’s debut for promoters BKB TM last year. Sam Wall, a former gloved pro boxer, agreed to fight him at short notice and was stopped inside two rounds.

Moore said: “He was an experienced gloved fighter, but in fairness to him, he took it at short notice.” Moore has built a reputation on the white-collar boxing circuit since moving to Oxfordshire from Ireland seven years ago. He won Irish K1 honours and boxed as a gloved amateur as well, but says nothing compares to fighting bareknuckle. Moore said: “My hands were sore afterwards. You have to pick your shorts more when you aren’t wearing gloves – and it definitely hurts more when you get hit. “Even though I won the fight early, he left me with a few souvenirs !”