HE is the Hampshire toughman who likes to sing love songs.

Inside the ring Mike Cutting can be found battering his opponents with right hooks and uppercuts. But away from the ring the 22-year-old can be found singing ballads and has his eyes set on a career as a pop singer.

The professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter regularly sings in venues around Andover and even has his own YouTube channel dedicated to his “take” on pop songs.

It’s an unusual hobby for a fighter, but it is not the first time a fighter has been known for his voice as well as his ability in the ring.

British heavyweight Tyson Fury famously celebrated his knockout victory over Steve Cunningham in America in April by belting out a song, and should Mike Cutting win Southampton’s Hardest Man Tournament on August 11 at Fleming Park Leisure Centre he might follow suit.

He has played gigs at the Globe Theatre and the Merlin pub, and was even going to audition for the XFactor five years ago, but he had to pull out after he had a throat infection.

He said: “I was actually going to take a year out of fighting to focus on singing. My music is a range of RnB and mixed pop and I like covering songs from the 90’s era.”

“What I have been through with my life – music talks to me and I put my passion and pain into it and that’s what I love about it.”

The feather weight fighter has a professional record of three wins and one defeat, often trains in Southampton despite living in Andover, and he added: “I am like two different people. When I fight, people see me as cocky but outside of the ring I am bubbly and singing all the time – it’s my main hobby really.”

The world of MMA fighting can be a macho place, but despite this none of his mates and fellow fighters have had a bad word to say about his soothing vocals. He said: “All the other fighters and my mates love it; they always ask me when my next cover is going to be, or request me to sing songs. They are really supportive.”

Mike has been in the limelight before, but not for his singing or fighting as he appeared on Jeremy Kyle to find out the results of a DNA test to see if he was the dad to a two-year-old child. He wasn’t.

Despite this experience Mike holds his head high and doesn’t let things get to him. He said: “We are all put on this planet for a reason, and with me that’s fighting and singing – but apparently I’m more known for my fighting than my voice.