Nagbe may have been defeated, but he forced Buakaw all the way, the fight going the distance.

Buakaw, who boasts an imposing record of 236 wins from his 272 kickboxing fights, set the tempo for much of the fight and was declared the winner upon completion.

Nagbe, who trains at Ballarat’s Victory Zone, showed great respect to Buakaw – one of his idols – following the fight, embracing the winner and bowing to him, acknowledging his standing in the kickboxing world.

The 24-year-old thanked his father and all who supported him in the lead-up to the fight on social media on Monday night.

Born in Liberia, Nagbe was raised in Australia. He spent time in Queensland as well as Thailand in his youth, before moving to Melbourne.

However, the hustle and bustle of Melbourne life was not for him and he moved to Ballarat.

Nagbe is relishing his time in Ballarat and is enjoying training for his own journey as well as teaching others.

Nagbe has another big event coming up on his calendar, preparing for the Ultimate Championships in August.