Australian Prospect Jude Grant Returns At Thunderdome 43
Undefeated prospect Jude Grant returns to the ring on Sept 1 to take on Bahtiyar Sonyol at Thunderdome 43
Thunderdome 43 is only two weeks away, and the iconic Perth-based promotion will once again provide a platform for some of Australia's most exciting new prospects.
Headlining the card will be a super welterweight clash between Jordan Laruccia and Fano Kori, but it will not be the only super welterweight matchup that fans will want to pay attention to.
Jude Grant, a stablemate of Laruccia, will be looking to keep his undefeated record while also capturing his first title when he takes on Bahtiyar Sonyol for the vacant West Australia State Super Welterweight crown.
Grant is coming into this fight after an entertaining majority decision win over Jaidyn Chin at Thunderdome 42. His fight against Chin was Grant's first training out of Big Rigg's gym, and now that he has had even more time to gel with his new team, he is excited about showcasing what he has been working on throughout this training camp.
"I feel like from now to where I was, I honestly feel like a completely different boxer, " Grant says, speaking to KickPunchBlock.
" I think I've gone from strength to strength. I've made some adjustments from that fight because that fight was my first fight with Big Rigs and my new team."
Grant is still learning on the job after switching to the pro ranks following a relatively short apprenticeship as an amateur. He won all nine bouts he fought, but while Grant competed in boxing, he was also keeping busy as a Muay Thai fighter. However, after weighing both options, Grant decided to focus his energy on the 'sweet science' rather than the 'art of the eight limbs'.
" [I like the] history of it [boxing], and there is like more, a possibility for a future in boxing like to support myself of it or my family that was enticing as well."
The business of boxing can, at times, often be as complex as any opponent a fighter will face in the ring, which is why Grant was only too happy to sign up with Tony Tolj at Dragon Fire Boxing.
" It gives me so much reassurance, having someone like Tony behind me, like one of the top promoters, if not in Australia, in the region. He's got contacts all over the world. Having someone like that behind me is so valuable," Grant explains.
"Before I was with Tony, I was like not only worrying about backing myself, I was also worried about getting a fight, which I wasn't getting, it was frustrating, but now I have got like a map in front of me. I just need to work to the best of my ability and get wins. "
Grant knows that his career is in good hands with his newfound team, but to take full advantage of any future opportunities, he first has to take care of business on September 1. Sonyol is not a fighter who will back down from a challenge, and Grant knows he has to keep his wits about him and not play into his opponent's hand on fight night.
" He's got a pretty brawling style. If you fight his fight, he's a very strong opponent, but I feel like I've got the perfect style to sort of counteract that," he explains.
" I think for this fight, I definitely do want the knockout. We've got some plans in place of obviously achieving that, but I think if you search for it too hard, it makes it harder to find. So I just want to box, and if it comes, then obviously, I will take that opportunity.
When the opening bell sounds, it does not matter how good a team a fighter has or how many supporters they have in the crowd; when the first round bell rings out around the arena, the world of a fighter shrinks down to just themselves and their opponent. For Grant, this is part of the attraction of the sport he has committed himself to.
"The better fighter always comes out on top, and any fighter can win on any night; that's what I really love about it. I think, for me, it's the purest form of competition."
Fans wanting to watch the action at Thunderdome 43 can purchase the ppv at FITE