Charlie Bubb's spent the best part of his glittering career slicing cheeks open with his steel elbows and blowing guards apart with his explosive-laced knees and feet, but he'll be fighting his instincts to unleash them in next month's Battle In The Bush 5.
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In a career-first Bubb will turn to boxing at Towac Park on November 9, agreeing to switch disciplines and fight on Jack Littlefield's card after negotiations for his shot at the WBC Muay Thai light-heavyweight world title stalled.
The 21-year-old's shot at Jake Lund's belt was initially set down, tentatively, for November 30 but the dialogue reached an impasse, as a result Bubb was forced to look elsewhere in a bid to "stay active".
I just want to punch on for four rounds ... hopefully we can fit 10 rounds of action into the four we've got.
- Charlie Bubb
"I've fought Lund twice and we're one apiece, I beat him last year, so I was really pushing for that fight but it's not happening, I think he's out-pricing himself," Bubb, the No.1 ranked challenger in that division, said.
Bubb was actually offered the fight in which Lund claimed his world title in July, but turned it down despite opening 2019 with a string of dominant victories, that included claiming the WKBF K1 world title over Mark Timms.
"I'd sort of gone fight, fight, fight and had a good start to the year but I'd probably had a few too many to take that one, so [Lund] went in and won that title," the Razor Muay Thai gym star explained.
"I spar with Jack every week anyway and the boys [at Littlefield's Boxing] had been asking me about a boxing fight for a while, but I'd pushed it back and pushed it back because of the chance to fight [Lund] again.
"With that not happening, we got a message last week and it looks like we might have another big fight on the cards for early next year so the switch is as much about staying active and getting one more fight in before the end of the year."
Bubb will face Asher Wolff at Towac Park, and although he's aware the undefeated Queenslander will pose a challenge he's actually more concerned with one other factor in the light-heavyweight bout.
"I'm a bit annoyed I have to wear shoes for this one, I'm so used to not having them on," he laughed.
Bubb's bout with Wolff is actually his professional debut - his professional status in martial arts dictates the same in boxing - and while he said he is "absolutely" chasing a first-up win, he's as much focused on giving the crowd a show.
"I just want to punch on for four rounds," he laughed.
"I absolutely want to win, I'm too competitive not to, but I'd also rather go in there and put on the kind of fight I'd want to see, so hopefully we can fit 10 rounds of action into the four we've got."
The last time Bubb fought in Orange was in 2017 when he beat Dieselek, a fighter of more than 300 professional bouts, on the World Fight Australia 2 program in front of a bumper crowd at Orange Function Centre.
He said fighting at home is a massive drawcard and knows it is for Littlefied too, who takes on David Lembo in his bid to maintain his undefeated status through five professional fights.
"I reckon he will, I've sparred against him a lot and he's hard to stop when he gets in tight. He'll love fighting in front of a home crowd again too," Bubb said.
Bubb and Littlefield are the co-main events on November 9, with a plethora of other local fighters - professional and amatuers - on the undercard as well.
Tickets are still available and are $50 for adults and $25 for under 18s, who must be accompanied by an adult. They're available at Littlefield's Barbers and Sportspower Orange.
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