Martyn Ford has boasted he is "bigger than ever" as he continues his boxing training.
The British star was set to make his maiden ring appearance this weekend against the Iranian Hulk - real name Sajad Gharibi - in London but the fight was cancelled. Now Ford is chasing a new opponent and is continuing his training despite being left frustrated after six months of preparation.
Ford has now displayed a ripped six-pack during a social media post after his ongoing training, confirming he now looks "bigger than ever" despite having moved away from bodybuilding. He wrote with a picture on Instagram : "So figure this, I stop all forms of bodybuilding since October.
"I move into boxing, and combat sports training. I end up looking bigger than ever. I give up, want to pack on muscle? Go for a run. my body definitely doesn't function normally."
The British star is known for his superb physical fitness and conditioning having also trained in MMA. Ford has made a remarkable transformation ahead of any boxing debut having lost 60lbs to make shape for the iron square which he has admitted has left him feeling "21 again".
He has since been preparing for his boxing debut with Hulk which was cancelled due to "mental well being" concerns according to the British star. After months of training for his appearance at The O2 arena, Ford suggested that his rival was to blame for the cancellation during a video statement where he confirmed his plan to find a new opponent.
"Unfortunately my fight won't be one of them taking place, for reasons out of my control," Ford confirmed on Instagram. "It doesn't take a genius to figure them all out. I don't want to go down the route of talking about it; too much time and energy has been wasted. I'm still training hard, there will be a debut.
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"There will be a fight, I'm just not 100 per cent sure who, when or why, but it will happen." Fans have since suggested that fellow strongman Thor Bjornsson could be a stand-in opponent for his Iranian rival, after the Icelandic star revealed he was open to discussions after defeating Eddie Hall.
The British star would be well matched with Bjornsson having a similar frame as the strongman, and has stated his intentions to execute a revenge plan for his friend Hall who was outpointed last month. Gharibi has since responded to their fight cancellation by demanding a new opponent himself after claiming he was ready to beat Ford. The Iranian has also branded his rival a "coward" and threatened to take legal action after hearing the news.
