Score to settle in ‘grudge match’
I’ll be on fire: Bradford
After a few years of delays due to the pandemic, veteran Geelong Muay Thai and kickboxing champion Chris Bradford is ready to settle the score with Atdhe “Prince” Bunjaku in just a few days.
The fight, set for the Melbourne Pavilion on May 11, has been on the cards for nearly three years.
However, the delays have meant fight fans have had to settle for online barbs between the two: Bradford, a heavyweight WKBF world champion and former WBC No.1 (in 2019) and the undefeated Prince, a IKBF cruiser weight world champ.
Billed as “Unfinished Business”, Bradford, 46, a veteran of the fight game for nearly 25 years, is promising an old fashioned grudge match against the 15-0 Bunjaku from Altona.
However, with the bout set at a “catchweight”, it won’t be for a world title anymore, with Bradford, known as “AK47”, having to weigh in under 100kg while his opponent will be in the 92-95kg category.
“We’re going to settle the score finally,” Bradford (pictured) said. “We’ve never fought one another, Prince usually fights at a lighter weight than me.
“Prince’s got a bit of work to come up to me, but he’s no write-off, there’s definitely going to be fireworks on the night. The banter’s been really good, but now it’s time to see who can land the punches and walk the walk and talk the talk.”
Taking on the fight with relatively late notice, Bradford will spend six weeks preparing, when the standard lead-in is usually 8-10.
“I had a good offer and when I heard it was about settling my score with Prince and having the opportunity to punch him in the face .... (I thought) I’m in, I can’t resist,” he said.
“That’s why I can’t say no, because I absolutely love to fight, it’s just in my blood, I’m born for it, my body’s born for it, my mind’s just totally made for it.
Bradford, who is a PT at Elite Training Centre in South Geelong, will enter the ring for his 44th professional fight. However, edging closer to 50, Bradford has had to finetune his prep. Where he once trained for 90 minutes in the morning and two hours at night pre-bout, that has been trimmed to 30 minutes and an “hour tops” of an evening.
And with a keen knowledge in nutrition, Bradford has stuck to a carnivore diet, backing off on the carbs so he doesn’t get too bulky for the big show.
However, the standard Bradford bullishness has not changed. “I’m confident because I think I’ll be on fire on the night, I’m going to deliver the right combinations, it’s going to weaken him,” he said.
“It’s going to be a grudge match and a fun grudge match.
“I can’t wait to punch him in the face and have a bit of fun, so it’s going to be good.”