FORMER undisputed light-welterweight boxing king Josh Taylor is targeting becoming a two-weight world champion.

The Prestonpans-born boxer is coming off the heels of defeats to Teofimo Lopez and Jack Catterall but insists that the “fire and desire” still burn within him.

Taylor had vacated his WBA (Super), WBC and IBF titles before stepping into the ring with Lopez in Madison Square Garden last year.

His American rival would win by decision and take the WBO light-welterweight belt from Taylor, who then lost to Catterall last time out.

Now, after more than three months out of the ring, Taylor has told Courier Sport that he feels he still has more to give before hanging up the gloves.

He said: “I know for a fact I can still win world titles.

“We will see what happens and what plays out because boxing is very unforgiving.

“It is an unforgiving and ruthless sport.

“It was only last year that I was the hottest property since sliced bread and now all of a sudden you go online and ‘I’m finished, washed up and whatever’ and opportunities slip away again.

“If I had not achieved what I have achieved, I would be a bit p****d off and a bit bitter but, because I have achieved more than most in the game in Britain, especially in Scotland, then I am more than happy if I say that is enough, but I have still got the fire and desire to win a world title again and become a two-time, two-weight world champion.”

READ MORE: Boxing champion Josh Taylor given Freedom of East Lothian

Taylor beat three undefeated world champions on his way to unifying the division.

He won his first world title, the IBF light-welterweight crown, by defeating Ivan Baranchyk in May 2019 and added the WBA (Super) light-welterweight title by beating Regis Prograis later that year.

After defeating Apinun Khongsong in under three minutes, he travelled to Las Vegas in 2021 and beat Jose Ramirez to lift the WBC and WBO titles and become the first Briton to be crowned undisputed champion of the world in the four-belt era.

A move to welterweight could see Taylor aim for the titles held by Eimantas Stanionis (WBA), Mario Barrios (WBC), Jaron Ennis (IBF) and Brian Norman Jr (WBO).

With two Commonwealth Games, an Olympic Games and 21 professional bouts under his belt, Taylor acknowledged that he was likely on the home straight of his career.

He said: “If I retired today, I would be more than happy.

“It will not be until I retire that I can say ‘you’ve done well’ because I have been immersed in it for so long and been focused so long, but I cannot retire off the back of that one [the Catterall defeat] because that will annoy me.

“I will do a couple more fights and see how the health holds up.

“The mileage on the clock now is starting to rack up a little bit but I still feel fresh, I still feel good and I am still performing well.

“It is now coming to the time where I want to start settling down, having a family, having kids of my own now, and I cannot do that if I am constantly away training and missing out on family life.

“I am closer to the end than I am the start now.

“I have still got plenty more left in me but, if it does not happen, then I am not really too bothered.”