Groth more polished in boxing than Floyd’s foe
Former mixed martial arts fighter to face Kose Thaba
While the world is waiting with bated breath for the historic $1-billion (about R13-billion) non-title fight between Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Irish mixed martial arts superstar Connor “The Notorious” McGregor, local mixed martial arts fighter Wade “The Warrior” Groth has already chalked up four wins in professional boxing.
McGregor, 29, is the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion. He has competed at featherweight, lightweight and welterweight.
Long established as the biggest pay-perview draw in mixed martial arts history, with 21 wins in 24 fights, he will make his professional boxing debut against Maysional weather.
Groth, the colourful South African fighter, meanwhile, will be in action on Sunday afternoon against Kose Thaba in their middleweight fourrounder at Emperors Palace.
Groth, 28, who is trained by Anton Gilmore, turned professional in April and has won all his boxing matches by the short route.
Gilmore said: “Groth started as an amateur boxer two years ago and he had eight fights before he decided to join MMA.
“He had nine fights and then decided to come back to boxing. It was not difficult for him to switch to boxing because he has an amateur boxing background. He is able to use both southpaw and orthodox stances. “We are fighting a closed book [Thaba] but we do not care.”
Groth had five wins in nine Extreme Fighting Championship fights. He last fought in September last year when he was defeated by Daniel Henry of Scotland, who stopped him in the second round.
Action in Sunday’s six-bout card will start from 2pm.