Super-lightweight boxing talent Arjon Basi to compete in his third professional bout where he takes on Francy ‘The Butcher Boy’ Luzoho on Sunday 30th November.
By: Khalil Alam
It’s a long way from Basi’s first steps into a boxing gym as a youngster with a quick temper and a fondness for getting into scraps.
“I had really bad anger management as a kid,” he recalls. “I used to get into fights and my parents thought boxing might help. They threw me in the gym and it became my saving grace. The structure, the discipline, it straightened me out.”
What started as youthful discipline has turned into a professional career pathway, one which is extremely unusual for someone of Basi’s background.
“My uncle was one of the first I know of from our community who boxed seriously and he’s very well known in the game. He paved the way. There’s always been a wrestling tradition in our culture, but when it comes to sport, families tend to push education first,” Basi explains.
“Education’s important, of course, but if our community backed kids in sport the same way, we’d have a lot more coming through. It’s good to see more of us now making moves.”
Now training under the highly respected coach Mark Tibbs and jointly managed with Richard Maynard, he’s surrounded by world-class fighters every day.
“Everyone in boxing knows the Tibbs family,” he says. “I used to see Mark in the corner on TV all the time, so to now be in the gym learning from him is a blessing. The level in that gym is unreal. Being the small fish in a big pond only makes you better. One day, hopefully, I’ll be one of the big fish there too.”
Basi was a standout amateur, winning London titles, representing at county level and reaching a national final. Along the way he mixed it with the best, sparring and competing against European champions and world-level fighters.
His professional debut came in 2025 against the Welsh champion Angelo Dragone – who any boxer making his pro debut would give a wide berth to – but not Basi.
“I didn’t even know he was Welsh champion!” Basi laughs. “I just knew he had a winning record and it would be a tough night. But if my team say I’ve got it, I believe them. I go in there and win.”
Born in Newham General and raised in East London, Basi is proud of both his heritage and his city. “I’m Punjabi Sikh and proud of it. ‘Singh’ means lion and that mindset is something I carry with me. When I get the urge to quit, I remind myself who I am – warriors don’t give up.
“I read the Sikh prayer books at night, I pray to our gurus and I wear my kara proudly. People notice your skin colour and how you look, so I make sure they know I’m a proud Sikh. And being from East London is part of me too. Those two things together – my culture and my city – that’s who I am.”
Still early in his professional journey, the Ilford-based boxer now carries that local and lineal heritage into every round. But he admits the true roots of his fighting spirit come from an unexpected source.
“My mother is the real fighter in the family!” he laughs.
“She did karate and competed at a high level. Obviously no mum wants to see her son getting punched in the face, but once she saw what I could do, she really believed in me. The whole family has supported me from day one and I just hope I make everyone proud.”
