Kani expects to win

ISRAEL Kani has a simple strategy going into Saturday night's bout against Chris Fox – “win or nothing”.

Noosa’s Israel Kani is sounding confident about his bout on Saturday night. Picture: Cade Mooney

ISRAEL Kani has a simple strategy going into Saturday night's bout against Chris Fox – “win or nothing”.

Noosa's Kani and Warwick's Fox will open the undercard at the Gold Coast in the lead-up to the blockbuster Michael Katsidis-Michael Lozada fight.

Kani, 38, and Fox, 36, have met twice before, albeit it at amateur level.

Kani said he comprehensively beat Fox both times, but that was about eight years ago and a lot had changed since.

“He was having his 99th amateur fight and I was having my 15th,” Kani said of their first encounter.

“It was in Warwick, his home crowd, and I fractured his eye socket in the first round. They stopped the fight not long after.

“The second time was in Golden Gloves just after I won my first amateur Australian title and I beat him there as well.

“But that was a while ago and he's the one that's pushed for this fight.

“I've got to go up and fight him at light heavyweight. I'm just a fat middleweight so I'll be giving away a few kilos.

“He must have something up his sleeve if he wants to fight me again.”

The bout will be an important hitout for Kani as he prepares for a fight in Singapore next month.

But he says winning is of the utmost importance, not only for him personally, but to show Katsidis the respect he deserves.

“I've been following Rocky (Katsidis) for a long time and he's my favourite Australian boxer,” Kani said. “I'm just rapt to be on his undercard.”

Kani has been training with Shannan Taylor in Wollongong recently as Taylor prepares for a world title fight.

The Coast fighter said the sparring practice against a world-class boxer had been invaluable in the lead-up to Saturday's four-round bout.

“I was down there for four days a week ago and we did 36 rounds of boxing,” he said.

James Chan, who trains under Mark Evans at Cooroy's Impact Boxing Gym, is making his return to the ring after two years out of the sport.

It is an important occasion for Chan but Evans says the 28-year-old Gympie product is ready to tackle highly rated Ron Bradford in the cruiserweight bout.

“He came back into the gym two months ago with the eye of the tiger,” he said.

“He's a lot more focused now, has been training the house down and is super fit at the moment.

“He's been sparring extremely well with other boys in the gym and doing some rounds with Israel, which is a great gauge.”

Mooloolaba's Brett W Smith is also on the undercard, coming up against Mike Shaw.

Originally published as Kani expects to win