"It is all down to your own personal discipline" - Ricky Hatton reveals how he has lost 40lbs ahead of his exhibition fight

Boxing legend Ricky Hatton has revealed how he has shredded 40lbs ahead of his ring return. 'The Hitman' explained that he fixed up his diet and removed alcohol from his life to get in better shape.

Hatton is set to return to the squared circle after ten years. His final professional contest was a defeat to Vyacheslav Senchenko in 2012.

The returning boxing legend will be in an exhibition match against Marco Antonio Barrera at Manchester's AO Arena on July 2. In recent years, the Brit has piled on the weight as he's focussed his life after retirement on training fighters, including his son Campbell. The former competitor was also known to lose shape in between his fights when he was a professional.

Despite the former world champion's physical condition, he has improved his diet and has been training in his gym to get in amazing shape again.

After Ricky Hatton's impressive weight loss, he spoke to British Boxing TV, where he said:

"I like pints of beer, it has been well known, but you can't do that. I think that is the main thing with the weight. If you go out and have pints seven days a week, you won't be walking around with a six pack."

Hatton then added:

"I do two workouts a day so my metabolism is always racing. Cut it down on treats, I have 12 cups of tea a day normally but it has to just be a one-off. I think the best thing is the willpower, and a nutritionist is only good as the lad that advises him and I think it is all down to your own personal discipline."

Although Ricky Hatton is primarily a boxing coach now, his return to the ring will be exciting for his fans. The former champion has shared the ring with huge stars such as Floyd Mayweather in the past.

Watch Ricky Hatton's full interview here:

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Ricky Hatton vs. Marco Antonio Barrera - Exhibition event

Ricky Hatton will return to his home crowd in Manchester on July 2 after a difficult but successful training camp to get into prime physical shape. The event will be for charity and won't be scored with a winner. Hatton has dedicated the exhibition to those who suffered during COVID-19 lockdowns.

The 43-year old will be involved in an action-packed fight card which includes UFC legends such as Dan Hardy and Diego Sanchez.

The card will also include celebrities such as rappers Casper Walsh and Don Strapzy. Walsh is apart of the two-man Irish group 'Versatile', who made their Irish charts debut in 2018. Strapzy is a British music artist and YouTube content creator.

The event will also include performances from Tion Wayne and Bradford-based garage group Bad Boy Chiller Crew. More fights are expected to be announced for the event.