Mikael Lawal will compete for the vacant British title against rival London cruiserweight Deion Jumah on November 26 at Alexandra Palace, live on AllSports.

Lawal is an unbeaten power puncher who has won ten of his sixteen professional fights inside the distance. Jumah has only lost once in his 15-bout career, and it came against a world-class fighter in Richard Riakporhe.

This fight and the British title are extremely important to both men. "I can finally turn my life around," Lawal said to All Sports.

"That is why I became interested in boxing. To be given a new lease on life. For me, this is more than just boxing.

"It would be an incredible feeling for me to win.

"That is the most important thing to me. I need to make certain that I obtain the British title. Because it will propel my career and everything else forward "He continued.

"I'm not out to prove anything to anyone. I'm trying to convince myself of something."

He understands how dangerous Jumah can be. "He's very skilled and tricky; you have to be careful with him," Lawal warned. "Being a southpaw gives him an advantage."

"We used to spar when I first started boxing, I think he'd just turned pro at the time." "At the time, I did very well," he added.

"That was me at the beginning of my career. Now that I'm older and have more experience, I can bring a lot more to the table. We'll have to wait and see how things play out."

Lawal has sparred extensively with the world's leading southpaw, Oleksandr Usyk, in the past. He worked out with Usyk when he was a cruiserweight champion before moving up to heavyweight to defeat Anthony Joshua.

"It gave me an idea of where I am in my career," Lawal said.

"There'd be four sparring partners, and we'd all be tough cruiserweights. We'd be doing four rounds with Usyk each, trying to take him out. He'd stick with us from the first to the last round. 'This guy is a beast,' you thought.

"He wasn't putting much effort into it. He was evasive and relaxed. It's not just about natural strength and power; there's a lot more to it, and many people don't realize it.

"As time passed, I began to calm myself down and relax a little. My shots started to fly. I had some great successes with Usyk."

Lawal wields considerable power. Tony Bellew revealed that Lawal was the one who broke his rib before his rematch with David Haye.

"I'm surprised he said that," Lawal expressed surprise. "I want to let my boxing speak for itself on the big stage, but for him to say that, I have a lot of respect for him.

"Things happen, and I need to make sure I can keep doing it, and do it on the big stage, because that's when it really counts."

Lawal has learned from his sessions with Usyk that he cannot rely on physicality in boxing.

"I learned that the hard way," he admitted. "I know I can't rely on my own strength. I've got a lot more to contribute.

"It is not easy to obtain this power. Landing the power requires a skill set. People seem to forget this. There's a lot to consider.

"You, too, can be caught with a crazy shot. It's fast chess; you have to figure them out while you're in there, trying to think a few steps ahead of them.

"It is what it is; it is why I participate in and enjoy the sport."