In the red corner….. (Picture: Getty Images)

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has revealed he had to be handy with his fists in his younger days growing up in Tooting.

As mayor he has had to stand up to Donald Trump’s taunts online but in the 1980s he used his fists to straighten out racists if they used the N-word or P-word around him.

Speaking to The Times yesterday Khan spoke candidly how violent racism was a constant risk for him and fellow ethnic minorities.

When asked if he got into physical fights he said: ‘Yes of course. I did alright, I won more than I lost.’




His brothers had gone into amateur boxing so the future mayor trained at his local club and ‘couldn’t help’ getting into scraps in the street or in the playground.

Back in the ring: Sadiq Khan with heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua after his victory over Wladimir Klitschko (Picture: Getty Images)

Khan had never been knocked ‘out out’ in a fight but once was knocked to the floor.

He said: ‘I’ve been knocked to the ground once, but the rule is, you get back up straightaway because if you stay on the ground you get kicked in. The point is unless you are outnumbered 15-1, you can’t allow the p-word, the n-word.’

The 47-year-old added: ‘Because if you allow people to get away with the n-word or the p-word then where does it end?’

As London’s first Muslim mayor Khan gets his fair share of abuse online and occasionally when he is out and about but he is more likely to be asked for a photograph.

Sadiq Khan gets in more about selfies than scraps these days (Picture: Getty)

The proud Londoner also spoke about how he is always happy to pose for selfies with people on the streets and public transport.

His staff even have to factor in time for people coming up and asking for photos during any journey.

Unlike when he was growing up in Tooting in the 1980s he now has his own protection squad.

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