Sol Dacres registered the biggest win of his career in July but it came at a cost.

In his first fight back after an 80-second knockout defeat to David Adeleye last year, Dacres produced a mature performance to widely outpoint Vladyslav Sirenko, who had arrived at Wembley with a 22-0 record.

But, as part of the undercard for Oleksandr Usyk’s win over Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium, Dacres (10-1, 3 KOs) handed the Ukrainian his first defeat to get his own career back on track.

What few knew at the time, as he racked up the rounds en route to victory, is that the Warley resident tore his bicep in the second round while throwing a left hook. It has meant a long and arduous rehab process and a ring hiatus which will likely not end until February at the earliest

“When I threw the left hook I felt it pop,” Dacres tells The Ring. “I knew it was bad straight away but thought I’d try and throw it again.

“When I tried that I realised it had gone. I just managed to get on with it, disguise the jab and try to keep my hands up but it wasn’t easy.

“A couple of weeks later I got an MRI on it and they said it was quite bad. I had completely shredded the muscle from the tendon. Another eight rounds of boxing on probably didn’t help it but it’s all pinned back and hopefully it stays solid now.”

Now, nearly five months on from surgery, most of the hard yards of the rehab are done and Dacres is set to return to sparring before the year is out.

“It’s frustrating because I would have got good momentum from that win,” he says.

“I got myself back in the picture and he was a top-15 fighter with the WBO so I should take that ranking. After the Adeleye fight, that was exactly what I needed. Everyone was writing me off but I schooled him really.

“It was a great way to bounce back and shut a few mouths up. This injury has been a bump in the road but we’re nearly past it now.”

Since his injury, the British title on which his sights are set has changed hands. In Derby on November 29, Jeamie ‘TKV’ Tshikeva outpointed Frazer Clarke to claim the belt in his second attempt.

Now Dacres is hoping he can set up a crack at the new champion in 2026 and has called on the British Board of Control to give him the nod.

“I’ve got my managers on that,” he said. “But the way we are looking at it, I should be in pole position to get that chance.

“I’ve come off a good win, I’ve been the English champion, I’m in a good, credible position to get the next shot at the British title. What matters to me is getting my hands on that belt now so hopefully we can get the fight made with TKV now.

“I’ll be ready to fight in February, that’s where the physio is comfortable with. We could rush out and come back in January but for the sake of a few weeks, it would be better to make sure it’s rock solid.”

Former wrestler TKV was an underdog against Clarke but he upset the odds in a bruising slugfest to claim a split decision on the cards in Derby. But Dacres believes he has the style to nullify TKV.

“I feel like I can outbox him,” he said. “He did a lot of good inside work and was quite sharp coming out of the clinches with Frazer. I can box him if it goes inside, I’m very good there as well.

“I'm a very smart fighter in all aspects, and I believe I've got the full package to take care of him. These are the kind of fights you want, that you’re in boxing for. You’re not in this to beat guys nobody’s heard of, you’re in the game to beat guys people know, who people have an opinion on and who people are interested in watching you fight.

“In this country right now, we are blessed with a few heavyweights that the public want to see in big fights, hopefully me against Jeamie for that belt can be the next one.”