Meet the champion boxer who sleeps in the ring

CHAMPION fighter Nathan Epps is one man who lives, breaths and even sleeps his sport.

Kickboxing champion Nathan Epps is having his first traditional boxing bout on Friday

CHAMPION fighter Nathan Epps lives, breaths and even sleeps his sport.

The kickboxer and his girlfriend Lucy Payne, who holds a world title in MuayThai, camp in the ring at the Bulldog Gym in Balgowlah.

When training has finished each evening the pair put up their two-man tent, lay out a yoga mat and literally hit the canvas.

Gym owner and trainer Nick Stone is more than happy with the arrangement and says it saved him buying a guard dog.

Epps, who hails from Birmingham, has had the unusual domestic situation for four weeks after returning from the three months he spent working in Bendemeer in country NSW as a condition of his visa.

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nd the 25-year-old has no complaints about his digs.

“It’s pretty good, I’m not going to lie, I sleep alright,” Epps said.

Kickboxing champion Nathan Epps is happy in his new digs.

He and Lucy have access to a bathroom, kitchenette with a microwave and an office with a DVD player where they watch movies.

And he doesn’t have to travel to get training.

He has to up at six when the first fighters arrive for their morning workouts and then has people fighting in his “bedroom” until nine in the evening.

“I can’t stay in bed so I don’t mind getting up so much,” he said.

Epps, a British and multiple English kickboxing and Muay Thai champion has had 36 wins from 45 fights and has only been stopped once in his career in a cage fight.

And he has been preparing for a new challenge - his first ever traditional boxing bout at the big boxing night at Dee Why RSL this evening.

Nathan Epps is having his first traditional boxing bout on Friday

“I’m pretty relaxed actually, I know that sounds weird,” he said.

“In Muay Thai and kickboxing you use kicks and elbows and that is quite a bit more frightening than just punches.

“I don’t have to worry about getting my feet hurt or my legs hurt so I am looking forward to that.

“I am not underestimating my opponent but in Muay Thai you generally find more hungry people I think and they are more hungry for the win,” he said.

Stone said Epps’ opponent has had about 25 fights and this will be a good debut boxing bout.

“Nathan is very tall and fast for a middleweight and he is tough too,” the trainer said.

Mitchell Dawson from Glovebox Gym in Warriewood and Daniel Kennedy from Kickstart Gym in Narrabeen are also on the card tonight.