NEW Australian lightweight professional boxing champion, George Kambosos, may have to keep tightening his belt.
But Kambosos is keen to hang on to this belt for as long as he can.
The Sylvania boxer, nicknamed "ferocious" defeated his 33-year-old opponent, Robert Toomey, over 10 gruelling rounds at Club Punchbowl on Friday to claim the 61.2 kilogram national lightweight division title.
Kambosos, 21, used to wear bigger belts for his once expanding waistline but not anymore.
He is fighting fit, lean, doesn't drink, doesn't smoke and physical fitness and living the "clean life" is a daily regimen.
Kambosos said that when he was a boy, the talented junior Cronulla development rugby league player was by his own admission "out of condition".
"When I was 10, 11, 12, I weighed 60 kilograms," Kambosos said.
"Then I started to train in the Rockdale PCYC gym with my trainer Igor Gouloubev [the brother-in-law of the famed multiple former world champion Kostya Tszyu].
"I might move up a weight division in time but for the moment I am staying in the lightweight division."
Kambosos got the three judges' unanimous points verdict much to the delight of the 1000-strong crowd. The judges scored the bout at 99-91, 99-91 and 97-93.
"I have a lot of respect for Robert Toomey; he has held the Australian title twice," Kambosos said.
Kambosos said the support over the years of his father Jim, mother Anna and sister Joanna had inspired him to victory.
"That's the first time I have fought a 10-round bout," Kambosos told the Leader. "That's the longest fight so far in my career."
Kambosos has had six professional fights for a perfect score six from six, with three wins by knockout.
"In the next few weeks I will sitdown with Igor and look at my next fight and there may be a fight on the Anthony Mundine undercard on November 12 in Melbourne," Kambosos said.
He will have to make a mandatory defence of his Australian title within the next six months.
Before turning professional, the former Endeavour Sports High School student had 100 amateur bouts and won 95 of them.
Kambosos said the support of the local Greek community also had been inspirational.
Have you seen Kambosos fight?