Wilko’s keen to cause havoc
A TASMANIAN former UFC fighter with a host of Australian combat sport titles will look to boost his resume on Saturday when he makes his professional boxing debut for the vacant Tasmanian heavyweight crown.
Hobart’s Rob Wilkinson has never fought in a professional boxing bout but with the combat sport champion finding it difficult to schedule any MMA fights, he’s accepted the invitation to fight retiring Hobart boxing champion Jayden ‘Plugger’ Joseph at the Havoc at the Hall showcase on Saturday.
Wilkinson is the No.1ranked light heavyweight MMA athlete across Australasia and he has already reached the pinnacle of the sport having had two fights in the UFC, including an encounter with UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
Wilkinson, 29, said he was still aiming to one day return to the UFC but that with Covid making scheduling fights difficult, he decided to feed his thirst for combat sport and accept the boxing invitation.
“I hadn’t thought about taking a boxing fight at all but then the promotion offered me the option to fight ‘Plugger’ for the Tassie heavyweight title and it didn’t look like I’d be able to have another MMA fight this year so I thought it was a good opportunity for me to compete,” he said.
Wilkinson said he was excited at the opportunity after having only three fights in the past two years.
“It’s been so difficult scheduling fights during Covid and that’s really made me appreciate fighting even more,” he said.
“My last fight was probably the happiest I’ve been and now with this fight, I’m just super excited to get out there and compete again.”
With a professional MMA record of 13-2, along with a combined professional K1 kickboxing and Muay Thai record of 4-0, Wilkinson said he was looking to add a professional boxing title belt to his growing resume.
“I’ve won Australian titles in MMA, I’ve won kickboxing and Muay Thai titles and now I’m looking to add a boxing title to my list,” he said.
Despite the mismatch in experience, Wilkinson believed he was poised to spoil Plugger’s retirement party.
“It’s eight rounds which I’m excited about,” he said.
“Plugger is a really good opponent and I don’t see it finishing early so I’m hoping to get a fair bit of ring time out there and get some experience but I’m very confident.”
“Obviously he wants to go out with a bang and I think it’ll be a good fight but he’s got one foot out the door already and I’m just getting started.”
The two heavyweights will meet on Saturday night at Hobart City Hall.
The Havoc at the Hall event will feature a host of the state’s best boxing talent, including Hobart pocket rocket Krystina ‘Mousey’ Jacobs, who will fight undefeated Queenslander Bec Hawker for the ANBF Australasian featherweight title.