A BROMSGROVE painter and decorator is set to challenge a UFC legend for the world bare knuckle boxing championship.
Father-of-two Ricky Nelder will fight Joe Rigg for the UBBAD light-heavyweight title at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Saturday, September 9.
Rigg is a UFC veteran making the first defence of the belt he took from Christian Evans, while Nelder steps up after winning the British title.
“This is as good as it gets for me,” said Nelder.
“You’ve got a painter and decorator from Bromsgrove fighting a UFC legend.
“Rigg has fought and beaten big names.
“He is without doubt the best I’ve fought.
“Experience wise and skill wise, he is better than me, but I have something in me that means I won’t give up.
“I just know I will beat him.”
Nelder says there’s been huge interest in the fight.
“I reckon I will have 150 supporters up there,” he said.
So far, he’s given his fans plenty to cheer and he describes his style as ‘non-stop aggression’.
Nelder goes into his world-title challenge on the back of three straight knock-out wins and in total, Nelder has nine wins from 12 fights (one draw) since taking up bareknuckle boxing.
“I saw a documentary about the sport and thought ‘I like the look of this,’ he added.
“I wrote down the names of the fighters, contacted one of them on Facebook and I ended up fighting him.”
Nelder had a handful of white collar fights before deciding to ditch his gloves and said: “I’ve just taken to bareknuckle boxing.
“To be a bareknuckle boxer, you have to be able to give it and take it.
“I’ve always been a scrapper. I can take the punches and keep coming forward.”
Tickets for the show at the Echo Arena are available from 07341 935203.
