Ballarat boxer Victor Nagbe will make a long awaited return to the ring at next weekend's Wildfighter promotion in Bairnsdale.
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Nagbe will take on Perth fighter Fano Kori in the second professional fight of his punch-for-pay career on October 12.
"I'm very excited, it's been a long journey, it's been up and down with a lot of obstacles but it's cool to be back in the ring and to look ahead. I cant wait," he said.
The 25-year-old last fought in March when he defeated Jyl Wright on debut in Port Melbourne. But his luck took a turn for the worst when his next two scheduled bouts fell by the wayside.
The welterweight fighter was set to face Frenchman Sonny Abid in June but was forced to withdraw after contracting pneumonia during training. He was also briefly on the undercard of August's Battle for Bendigo, but was scratched over a weight dispute.
"It's been a frustrating year," he said.
"You train and train and then there is another obstacle, but this fight seems to be going very smoothly and I'm pretty excited about it.
"It's been a long year but as a fighter you've got to be strong and keep pushing."
Nagbe will have his work cut out against Sudanese-born Kori, who boasts an impressive professional record of nine wins and three losses.
The former world kickboxing champion told The Courier he wouldn't take any chances against his bigger opponent as he looked for a speedy knock-out victory.
"I will win by knock-out, I'm going in there to fight, not to survive the round," he said.
"This guy is pretty good, he has a long reach and is pretty quick and I feel like he can get the best out of me."
A win could yield big benefits for Nagbe as he continued to build his profile in the sport. The Ballarat fighter has been vocal in recent weeks about his desire to fight Rio Olympian Daniel Lewis.
Lewis won the Australian super-welterweight title in just his third professional fight earlier this year and Nagbe said a win next weekend could help him secure a fight with Lewis down the track.
"I feel we're both coming up and he will get me to the next step," Nagbe said.
"I want to be number one and whoever is above me, I want to go for them. He is a current Australian champion so this fight is important."
Nagbe expressed anger over his 2019 campaign, but was confident he could salvage what was left of the year.
"Every fight is different so I'm just trying to concentrate on myself and learn to adapt in the ring and work from there," he said.
"My team is trying to get me in the right state of mind so when the night comes I'll be ready to dance."
