Islington light-middleweight ‘Gorgeous’ Georgie Kean believes he is better suited to longer fights after making a winning return to the ring on Friday.

The former Times ABC amateur moved up to six rounds for the first time in his professional career – although he required less than two to see off the challenge of Faheem Khan at York Hall.

However, Kean – who was boxing for the first time in eight months – felt that extending the scheduled distance from four rounds had helped him to produce a better performance.

“I’m pleased to be back after a long lay-off,” the 24-year-old told the Gazette. “I am better over a longer distance and this was my first six-round fight.

“When I was boxing four rounds and lost the first, I would panic and try too hard. But over six rounds, if I was behind, there were five more to put it right.”

Kean was given a hard first round by the Exeter southpaw, being caught by an early burst of wild punches before managing to evade further blows and take control of the contest.

In the second round, a combination of shots to the head put Khan on the canvas – and, despite rising to his feet, a hard punch to the body dropped him again soon afterwards.

Kean unleashed a right hook to the side of the head to floor his opponent for a third time before referee Robert Williams stopped the fight, taking the Islington boxer’s record to six wins and one defeat.