Mair the merrier after fight win

The Dalkeith mixed martial arts specialist, who works for the Scottish Executive by day, beat rival Steve Stringfellow at a social club near Newcastle, despite having only participated in the brutal sport for a year.

James, 27, said the whole experience was a fantastic one, and since Friday he has received further approaches from promoters to fight at other venues.

"You never know what to expect with these things," he said. "I wasn't surprised because of the amount of preparation I've put in. The crowd were great and I spoke to Steve after it and he said I'd had a good fight and could go far.

"He's a great guy and it's good to hear those words from an experienced pro. I'm going to take a week out now and think of my next move."