Kickboxing: Makings of great fight in return bout

TOP SHAPE: Charles August is fine tuning his skills in Thailand. PHOTOS/FILE

HAWKE'S BAY'S two-time world kickboxing champion Chris "The White Sniper" Johnson has been waiting for a particular revenge bout for more than 10 years.

That's one against fellow Aussie-based Bay fighter Charles "The Heat" August and they will meet in the feature bout at the Combat Kings Return of Legends event at the Hastings Sports Centre on July 4 with Johnson's national 85kg K1 title at stake.

"Charles beat me over 10 years ago. I have wanted this fight again ever since that day so I'm very motivated to change the result this time around," Johnson said from the Sydney home where he has been based for 11 years.

"We all know what a brilliant fighter Charles is and it's no surprise that if he catches me with those big hands it's very likely I will go to sleep. I have a strategy in place and I guess we will see next month if I can put that plan into place," Johnson, 35, said.

He agreed August, 36, who has been Adelaide-based for 10 years, will be a massive step up from his Wanganui opponent, James Griffiths, who he beat in two fights in Hastings last year.

"Charles is a world champion who has knocked guys out all over the world so I'm very aware that I need to bring my A game or I will not get the win I'm after."

A winner of a World Kickboxing Federation middleweight title as an amateur and another as a professional, Johnson, has had two fights since his second against Griffiths in September.

Johnson agreed both he and August, a former Tamatea club rugby player, were at the back end of their fight careers.

"I still love what I do and it's allowed me to travel the world for over 25 years now so I'm very fortunate and grateful for that," he added.

August has been Thailand-based training for the bout.

"The home crowd has been wanting this fight for years. Training is going awesome and I'm fit as and strong," he said during a short breather at one of his sessions.

"Chris is a warrior in all aspects of our sport and is a respected person who has made a very good name for himself."

August had a fight lined up for this month but had to cancel because of work commitments in another state. He has his own fire system installing business.

During his 16 years of fighting August has won 41 of his 55 bouts, 35 by KO.

"Come fight night against Chris I will have to work all areas. I know he doesn't usually like fights with knees so I have been working on them a lot. But it will take an all round fight with punches, kicks and knees to win," August said.

Former Hawke's Bay trainer-fighter Hape Ngaronoa, who is also Aussie-based, will be in August's corner with boxing trainer Richie Elliot and Thaiboxing trainer Jeremy Keeping.

Promoter of the July 4 event, Patrick O'Brien, has promised the biggest combat event to be staged in the Bay with a number of international flavoured kickboxing and MMA bouts.

Former Wairoa kickboxer Jamie "VDK" Van Der Kuijl will make his pro MMA debut when he takes on Waikato's Matt "The Viper" Vaile in a bout scheduled for three five minute rounds.

Last year Van Der Kuijl had a stint in Los Angeles training at the prestigious Team Oyama gym.

There he trained alongside the likes of Carla Esparza, the UFC's first women's strawweight champion, UFC flyweight fighter Ian McCall and Bellator MMA's Joe Schilling.

While in the States Van Der Kuijl, 24, received a contract to train at the Saigon Sports Club in Vietnam with fellow elite Kiwi fighters Dan Hooker and Ev Ting.

The 2010 Wairoa Sportsperson of the Year will be Saigon-based until he returns to the Bay next month.

"The training is great here but it is hard to get fights in Vietnam. I can't wait to return home to take on Matt ... it's been a long time coming," Van Der Kuijl said.

VIP tables of 10 and general admission tickets are on sale.

-Main Card:

Charles "The Heat" August v Chris "The White Sniper" Johnson for the national K1 kickboxing title over 5 x 3 minute rounds; Jamie "VDK" Van Der Kuijl v Matt "The Viper" Vaile MMA over 3 x 5 minute rounds; Gentiane "AAA" Lupi v Daria "The Boss" Smith Kickboxing over 5 x 2 minute rounds; Hiki "Swift" Haunui v Lucas Bush MMA over 3 x 3 minute rounds.

-Under card: To be confirmed.