After 11 months of no cage action, Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) fighter, Pietie \u2018Thunder\u2019 Coxen is ready to get back in action.<\/p>\n
Coxen will face Congolese national Tresor Boluwa at EFC 61 to be held at Sun City on Saturday (July 8).<\/p>
The Elsburg resident said it feels good to be back in action after a long break.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was down due to an injury but I am healed and can\u2019t wait to take on my opponent in my first fight in 11 months,\u201d said Coxen.<\/p>
Coxen was an amateur fighter until he went professional towards the end of 2014.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have loved the sport since childhood and started off as an amateur boxer and after watching cage fighting I fell in love with it and became an amateur mixed martial arts fighter,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love this sport because, among other things, it teaches you discipline, self-belief and confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coxen is a humble person but he gives fighting his all.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always bring everything to a fight and leave nothing behind when I enter the cage,\u201d said Coxen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that is one of the things that sets me apart from other fighters.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am generally a humble man but things change when I am in the cage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coxen told the GCN that he is both excited and nervous about Saturday\u2019s fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cI once heard that if you are not nervous before a fight then you are not ready for a fight,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo a bit of nerves will do me good.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbove other emotions, I feel blessed to be able to fight again.<\/p>\n
\u201cGod has blessed me with another opportunity to showcase my talent and I will put on a good show.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coxen\u2019s professional career has seen him win four fights and lose four.<\/p>\n
With a good team behind him, Coxen feels ready and well-trained for the fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cCharl van Tonder and Neel Mahoney are helping me with wrestling, and JP Kruger is my boxing coach,\u201d said Coxen.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith all that combination, and the training I have put into preparing, I am ready.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoluwa better be ready for war as I am taking the thunder, lightning and storm into the ring.\u201d<\/p>\n
The father of two also took time to thank his family for their support.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you to my wife, Judete, who has been with me in this journey and motivating me all the way,\u201d said Coxen.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo my sons, Jordan (3) and Juandre (13), daddy loves you and never forget that.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother big thank you goes to my coach Kruger and teammates at House of Tinkerbell for preparing me for the fight.\u201d<\/p>\n
The local fighter also warned his opponent to be ready for a good fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoluwa also seems like a humble man and he is good, but at the end of it all, it is a fight to win so let the best man win,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In other news, the local EFC fighter is also the founder and head coach of Thunder MMA which is a mixed martial arts club that operates in Elsburg.<\/p>\n
The club is situated in Parnell Road, Elsburg and practice is held every Tuesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm.<\/p>\n