‘It’s going to be a great show’: Meet the Cardiff students competing in Fight Night 2023

It’s back. Fight Night is returning to Cardiff next week and this year’s fighters spoke to The Cardiff Tab to tell us their feelings about the big night.

Alex ‘Lennie’ Oliver, 19, Cardiff Met

Who’s your biggest inspiration?

My grandad who grew up in WW2 and had to move between Poland, Siberia, and Kenya. He came to England with nothing.

How will you celebrate if you win?

A lot of drinks with the boys coming to support and the other fighters.

What’s your favourite night out in Cardiff?

Half-Time on a Wednesday in Revs is top tier but Liveys also never disappoints regardless of the day.

Who’s coming to support you?

I’ve got eight lads travelling from Cheltenham (home) for the fight as well as 12 plus based in Cardiff so I’ve got plenty of support on the night.

Sunni ‘The Great’ Bahi, 21, Cardiff Uni

Who’s your biggest inspiration?

Virat Kohli – he uses everyone’s hatred to fuel him into being the best player of his generation.

How will you celebrate if you win?

Get absolutely battered.

What’s your favourite night out in Cardiff?

Proudies – especially with vouchers from work.

Who’s coming to support you?

Just friends as I didn’t want my family to see me knocking somebody out.

Tom ‘The G Spot Jackler’ Jenkins, 19, Cardiff Met

Who’s your biggest inspiration?

Conor McGregor.

How will you celebrate if you win?

Dance until the sun comes up.

What’s your favourite night out in Cardiff?

Revs.

Who’s coming to support you?

Friends, family and Steff Crimp.

Jodie ‘Sparkout’ Speller, 20, Cardiff Met

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Who’s your biggest inspiration?

UCAS for letting me back into uni again!

How will you celebrate if you win?

In Revs, backing the whole bottle of vodka with my favourite people.

What’s your favourite night out in Cardiff?

Revs on Wednesday.

Who’s coming to support you?

All my mates from back home, and my mum and dad who are doing a seven hour trip in one day just to watch.

Conor ‘The Finesser’ Chesser, 20, USW

Who’s your biggest inspiration?

My dad.

How will you celebrate if you win?

Get absolutely smashed afterwards.

What’s your favourite night out in Cardiff?

Cardiff SU.

Who’s coming to support you?

My mum, dad, sister, and several friends.

Finn ‘The Finisher’ Osborne, 19, Cardiff Uni

Who’s your biggest inspiration?

My parents. They work hard and are good role models.

How will you celebrate if you win?

Go out and celebrate with my friends.

What’s your favourite night out in Cardiff?

Cardiff SU.

Who’s coming to support you?

Grateful to have loads of friends there on the night to support me.

Oscar ‘Chief Keef’ Hamilton-Roderick, 19, Cardiff Uni

Who’s your biggest inspiration?

David Attenborough for his work on raising awareness of climate change.

How will you celebrate if you win?

With a nice cold pint of Guinness.

What’s your favourite night out in Cardiff?

Liveys (always a weird night).

Who’s coming to support you?

My mates from home as my parents didn’t want to see me get punched.

Jack ‘The Menace’ Watkins, 19, Cardiff Met

Who’s your biggest inspiration?

My biggest inspiration is David Goggins. He’s just as tough as nails and teaches you how to have a stronger mind.

How will you celebrate if you win?

Straight into Revs and grabbing a double vodka lemonade.

What’s your favourite night out in Cardiff?

Live Lounge.

Who’s coming to support you?

Just mates from uni and some from back home.

Ciara Aldous, 21, Cardiff Uni

Who’s your biggest inspiration?

Cliché but my mum, she’s the one who taught me I can do anything I put my mind to!

How will you celebrate if you win?

I will be in Revs with that free bottle of vodka.

Favourite night out in Cardiff?

Live Lounge, specifically on rugby weekends!

Who is coming to support you?

My best friend, from London, and my sister who is coming up from Exeter and then obviously all of my friends from Cardiff!

Anthony Atkins, Coach, Red Corner

How are you feeling about the upcoming event?

Really looking forward to this event. The guys have trained hard for six weeks solid with some of them even coming to my morning classes.

The bouts are really evenly matched so it’s going to be a great show.

What do you think about this year’s cohort?

I’m very pleased with this years group, they’ve all put 100 per cent effort in and the attendance for training has been excellent.

We’ve got some big rugby boys in this show too so expect some fireworks!

Who are the ones to watch?

Every fight is 50/50 in my opinion. But I’m coaching the red corner so you need to watch out for team red!

What sort of things have you focused on in training?

No matter what we teach them in the gym, as soon as that bell goes for the first round everything they’ve learnt will go out the window (or ring in this case) and they’ll be throwing haymakers all over the place.

We’ve focused a lot on fitness so they last the three rounds and basic boxing drills like jabs and one twos, head movement and footwork. We’ve had sparring sessions at least three times a week so they’re all prepared and raring to go!

Any last minute advice?

Keep your hands up!

Calum, Coach, Blue Corner

How are you feeling about the upcoming event?

Really exited for the event after seeing how hard everyone have trained for it.

What do you think about this year’s cohort?

This whole group’s energy has been amazing since day one.

No one had moaned and has just ploughed through with the hard training and put in some serious effort.

There will be some great fights, I’m really excited for the night.

Who are the ones to watch?

There is going to be a lot of really even fights but on my team Evren and Jaden’s fights, expect wars.

What sort of things have you focused on in training?

We have focused on fitness and basic boxing techniques but on the night anything could happen.

Any last minute advice?

Really try to enjoy it. You have worked so hard no matter the result you should be very proud of yourself for just getting in there.

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