BRADFORD heavyweight Dan Garber is getting ready to box again next weekend after beating a two-time national champion in Nishant Sharma.

And if he can win the two bouts he has planned in the next month, he could be on for a huge fight night in December.

Though details of that are yet to be publicly revealed, there is enough in the pipeline for him to be excited ahead of his bout with Reece Barlow at Elland Road next Friday.

He said: "Reece will be a good step, as will (former rugby player and navy man) Joe Nakavulevu in a few weeks' time.

"Reece's record's not the best but he's been on Sky for two of his fights and it should be a good bout.

"Joe's probably going to be at the Bradford Hotel on a Darren Burley promotion and yeah, two good performances could potentially put me into something big in December."

"With the way I've been training with Andy Lowry and with the dietician I've had since April, it's helped massively with my conditioning, weight and even my punching power.

"You take your diet for granted sometimes, but I don't any more."

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Dan Garber is feeling the fittest he has done in a long time.Dan Garber is feeling the fittest he has done in a long time. (Image: UGC.)

It is a welcome return to being back on track for Garber, who said: "I used to train with Mark Hurley, who's one of the best about and worked with Josh Warrington.

"But I had to stop because of the travel, and then Covid hit, and no-one was quite the same as Mark for me until Andy came along, who has done wonders for me."

Garber may be in his late thirties, but he is more committed to professional boxing than ever, saying: "I've been training full-time.

"I stopped work for my fight against Nishant and for now I'm still just focused on training for boxing.

"I will be looking to go back to work soon but I can certainly see myself fighting for another couple of years, as I'm working well and in really good shape.

Reflecting on the pros and cons of beating Sharma last time out, the Bradfordian said: "He's a two-time national champion in India and I knocked him out in a minute and 20 seconds.

"Everyone was saying he'd beat me so it was good to prove them wrong and get my name out there.

"But to be honest, I'm needing rounds, and I was actually a bit deflated to knock him out so early.

"I need to get those rounds under my belt to build up to what I'm aiming for.

"My team and I had tried to take another fight straightaway after Nishant, but we couldn't get on the bill in time."