A BURY ABC national champion is set to make his professional debut under the tutelage of Ricky Hatton.

Ibrahim Nadim won the senior ABA title in April and the 20-year-old will enter the paid ranks on Matchroom Boxing’s card at the iconic York Hall in London next Thursday night, December 19.

The super-bantamweight, who won the men’s under-56kg division earlier this year before triumphing at the Three Nations Championships in May, will be trained by British fight great Hatton and has been putting in the hard yards at his gym in Hyde.

The link-up has come about through manager Paul Speak and Amir Khan’s dad Shah, Bolton’s former unified world champion having also come through the ranks under Mick Jelley at Bury ABC.

“There had been talk about him turning professional and Amir Khan’s dad Shah approached me and said he was looking for a trainer and I set him up with a trial with Ricky,” said Speak, also part of Scott Quigg’s team.

“It went well, I agreed to be his manager as well, and we’ve been going for about six or seven months.

“He’s gelled really well at the gym, fits in, is popular and has been sparring with a lot of good fighters both amateur and professional.”

Nadim, from Keighley, will begin his professional career over four rounds against Polish veteran Krzysztof Rogowski with it hoped his fight will feature on the broadcast of show at some point, some of the early contests streamed on Facebook before the main card is live on Sky Sports.

Jelley and a host of fans from Bury will be making the trip down to Bethnal Green to support their man as he enters the paid code. 

Speak hopes it will be the start of an exciting journey for a highly-rated young fighter.

“He’s got a good engine, a good boxing brain and we’re expecting good things for him,” he said.

“We think he’s destined to go a long way.

“This is just the first one but should it go well he should be fighting under the Matchroom banner again in the new year.”

The York Hall card is headlined by Richard Riakporhe and Jack Massey’s clash for the vacant British Cruiserweight title.