Hardman 'faces' up to new challenge

Issac ‘Headsplitter’ Hardman will take the first step back into title contention tonight when he climbs into the ring at Sydney’s Entertainment Quarter.

The 27-year-old middleweight, who was raised in Caboolture and Deception Bay, faces Kazuki Kyohara who has won six of his 10 bouts.

Hardman, now based at Bald Hills and training in Chermside, enters the fight with two defeats in his last three outings after 12 straight victories at the start of his professional career.

He lost an Australian title clash with Michael Zerafa and on a split decision for the IBF Australasian super middleweight crown against Rohan Murdoch in March.

“In my last fight I got on my bike and tried to be the boxer but everyone knows me as the Headsplitter, getting in people’s faces and that’s what I’m going to do now,” Hardman told Fox Sports.

“I’ve learned that lesson. It’s unfortunate I had to learn it on the run and take an ‘L’ in the journey but I’m getting in people’s faces now like I always have been .. and I’m staying in their face.”

Kyohara gave little away in his pre-fight press conference this week but admitted Hardman was his toughest opponent.

Hardman versus Kyohara will be shown on Fox Sports and Kayo tonight.

The No Limit Boxing promotion is the first of a series which includes Liam Wilson returning to the ring for the first time since his highly controversial world title defeat in the US.

Wilson, from Caboolture but based at All Star Boxing Academy in Lawnton, was stopped by Emanuel Navarette in round nine of their WBO world super featherweight clash in February.

But Navarette, the hot favourite to win, appeared to be given a 27-second ‘count’ after eing knocked down and then spitting out his mouthguard, in round four.

Wilson now faces Carlos Maria Alanis, from Argentina, who arrives with an unbeaten fight record from 12 bouts, on August 23.