Joey Spencer reveals audacious dual sport dreams ahead of blockbuster fight against Tim Tszyu

Joey Spencer won’t be content just to win a boxing world title. He wants to create his own unique piece of history.

Joey Spencer has revealed his grand plans of becoming the first man, and just the second fighter ever, to win a boxing world title before crossing over to MMA and becoming a UFC champion too.

Only Holly Holm has achieved the rare feat, beating Ronda Rousey in a massive boilover in Melbourne in 2015.

A $7.25 underdog, Spencer will need to pull off a similar upset to Holm’s remarkable KO of Rousey when he faces Tim Tszyu in Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.

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Joey Spencer is a blue belt in Jiu Jitsu. Picture: Supplied/Instagram

‘The Small Town Soldier’ rolled in late to Friday’s press conference in Newcastle and is fully focused on Tszyu, but his cauliflower ears give away his MMA background.

“Jiu Jitsu is a big part of my training, I really enjoy it,” Spencer told this masthead. “I’m a blue belt now, and my coach, Ronaldo Candido is from really good Jiu Jitsu lineage out of Brazil, and was on the UFC’s Dana White Contender Series.

“He doesn’t give out belts very easily. He holds you back, but I can roll.”

Spencer is in his fourth fight back after a solitary defeat to the talented Jesus Ramos, and is determined to derail Tszyu’s plans of climbing back to the top of the super-welterweight division.

Once he does, he says, he’ll make the switch from boxing ring to Octagon.

“When I get done with my boxing career, whenever that is, I’ll be ready to go,” he said. “I would love to end my career fighting MMA.

Spencer (L) and his BJJ coach Ronaldo Candido. Picture: Supplied/Instagram

 

“By the time I’m 29, I will have been grappling for a good 10 years, so I would love to do that in the prime of my life.”

And winning titles in both sports is definitely on the bucket list.

“I’ve always said that would be cool,” he said. “That’s a cool dream. A cool goal.

“I’d love to do that.”

Holm is the only legitimate boxing world champion to win a UFC title to date.

Holly Holm is the only person to have achieved what Joey Spencer is striving for. Picture: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images. Picture: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Former three-weight boxing world champion and pound-for-pound king James Toney made a late-career switch to MMA but was obliterated by Randy Couture inside one round in 2010.

Meanwhile, Olympic gold medallist and one-time heavyweight world champion Ray Mercer also converted to the cage, scoring a ridiculous nine second knockout of two-time heavyweight UFC champion Tim Sylvia, although their fight wasn’t in the UFC.

Ray Mercer fights Evander Holyfield in 1995. Picture: Focus on Sport/Getty Images

“There are guys that have had incredible UFC careers who started in boxing, but just not at that highest level,” Spencer said. “Guys like Petr Yan, Dustin Poirier and even Conor McGregor all started as amateur boxers.

“But it’s a different thing when you’ve been doing one kind of combat sport from the time you can walk.

“James Toney didn’t even want to train grappling. He thought he didn’t need it, but that’s not true.

“You’ve gotta have the full thing, and it’s something I’m interested in doing.”

After a fight week drama over the officiating, two neutral judges have been appointed by the WBO for this Sunday’s bout.

Tszyu and Spencer face off after a fiery press conference. Picture: No Limit Boxing

Daniel Sandoval is en route from America, Ioana Schwalger arrived in Newcastle on Friday, and the third judge is Adam Height from Australia.

There were several heated moments at the press conference as Tszyu and Spencer argued about the officiating fiasco, and a fired-up Spencer claimed the Aussie is rattled.

“I think he has head problems,” he said. “He battles against what’s the right thing to do in there.

“That’s why there’s so much talk about ‘I’m going to fight like this, I’m going to fight like that’.

“It’s arrogant to say he lost to Bakhram (Murtazaliev) because he came out and fought a certain way. As if Bakhram didn’t do anything right to make him do certain things.

“He doesn’t have many choices in this fight, he’s going to have to adapt.

“I’m ready for war.”

Originally published as Joey Spencer reveals audacious dual sport dreams ahead of blockbuster fight against Tim Tszyu