TYRONE SPONG has exclusively told the Voice of Sport that he will be fighting in the UK later this year as he continues his pursuit of a boxing world title.
Spong, 29, a former ten times, six weight kick boxing world champion, who has also fought in Mixed Martial Arts, won his debut boxing match earlier this month with a first round knockout of Gabor Farkas.
The Surinam-born heavyweight is due to fight again this weekend in Germany but having fought in the UK in 2013, he said he can’t wait to come back to England.
“I loved fighting in the UK, I have a big fan base there. Actually I have a big fan base across the whole world, particularly in Europe,” he said.
Spong added: “I really felt welcomed (in the UK). I think they really appreciated my fighting style and in general I think the UK is a place where they appreciate hard fighters and people who bring it and I am that type of guy.”
Spong says being a ‘warrior’ he is up for fighting in any shape or form, but it was his high ratio of knockouts as a kick boxer and almost signing a contract with a renowned boxing promoter when he was younger, that has lured him to the pugilist art form.
“In 2006 I travelled to Las Vegas where I trained with Floyd Mayweather senior and he was so impressed with my boxing skills that he contacted Bob Arum and they offered me a three year contract.
“But at that time I had just had my first child, I was the hottest name in kick boxing and it as too much of a risk for me at that time to just ditch everything I had built and start again.”
Joe Long, head of fight promotion team Fighters Inc, told the Voice of Sport they were proud to be bringing Spong to the UK.
Long said: “Fighters Inc promoted the London Glory Show in 2013 which Tyrone headlined and was a pleasure to work with. I have worked closely with his team over the years and I'm excited that Tyrone will be back in the UK and competing real soon, one thing is for sure, it will be explosive.”
http://www.voice-online....uk/article/warrior-fight