SportBoxingLee SelbyFormer boxing world champion Lee Selby will come out of retirement tonight when he makes his bare-knuckle boxing debut in Cardiff12:00, 27 Jun 2026Lee Selby realised he missed the fight game when he had acquired enough animals to start a zoo.‌The Welshman hung up his gloves four years ago after a successful world title-winning career. The 39-year-old featherweight succeeded where many fail and slipped into a life of contended obscurity. But tonight Selby will return to action minus his gloves when he becomes the latest to experience the violence of bare-knuckle boxing.‌The sport has rocketed in popularity and has attracted a number of retired stars from its sporting cousin. And Selby said: "I've been content in retirement. The first year was quite sad, walking away from a sport which had been my life. I wrote a retirement speech for social media and every time I read it I would cry because I had just walked away from it all.‌"But then I settled into normal life and was busy with my animals. I've got two horses, five dogs, 20 chickens, a ferret, and a cat. I live in quite a rural area so I take the horses down country lanes and I take the ferret and my lurchers out hunting. But there is only so much horse riding and dog walking I could do before I got bored."I got back in the gym and started coaching fighters. Once I started coaching a bare-knuckle fighter, I saw the shows from the corner. I'm a boxing purist and a boxing fan, but sometimes the boxing shows are really boring. And then you go to the bare-knuckle fights and it's just so fast-paced; it's like a conveyor belt of fights."Article continues belowWhile Selby has convinced himself of the merits of his new challenge, his family have been less agreeable. Brother Andrew will make his own transition seven years after ending a boxing career which failed to hit the expected heights. But others will need more persuading."I've had different opinions from people, and a load of stick on social media, but it's from people who have never had a fight in their life, so they wouldn't understand,” added Selby. "My brother is all for it but my dad's a boxing purist, so he hasn't really mentioned the fight and I know he's against it, to be honest, and my sister is worried I'll get hurt."I did have some concerns. I retired from boxing financially secure, with the same two brain cells I started with, and I did wonder whether I really needed to push the boat out. But I started training and realised that's what's been missing in my life; the routine and structure, and once I started hitting those pads and sparring again, I felt like me again."Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Lee SelbyZoosWorld championsAnimals