Beau Nichols and Tyron Mustey proved that notion when the two Goulburn Valley Martial Arts warriors rounded out their bouts at the Muay Thai and boxing Battle of the Border event at the weekend.
Sixteen-year-old Mustey bested his opponent Zeth Witt in a TKO victory to mark a successful amateur debut in Albury.
The young southpaw unleashed a flurry of powerful kicks and knees to drop his opponent twice in the opening round for eight counts, ending the fight in the second round with a surgically accurate head kick.
Despite the resounding result, Mustey admitted he wasn’t exactly cold as ice in the moments before the bell.
But when it rang, he was ready.
“When I was in the dressing-room, I felt really nervous, but I was trying hard to get myself in the right headspace. It’s really hard to explain,” he said.
“The fight felt comfortable, like every technique and training drill I worked on in the lead up flowed effortlessly.
“I felt really emotional when I knew I won. All the hard work and sacrifice was worth the feeling when my hand was raised.
“I'm looking forward to the next challenge, working continuously on my skills and fitness. I’m aiming to compete again in October after I give my body a little rest.”
Meanwhile, Nichols faced Dru Brodin for the Light Heavyweight Muay Thai NSW State Title, and despite a tightly fought contest, it was Brodin who raised the arm and took home the strap.
Full Thai rules, no elbow pads - this was martial arts at its rawest.
The first round saw Nichols time an effortless sweep while Brodin chimed in with some well-timed shots, while the second was impossible to split as both fighters upped the ante.
As the bout progressed, it was clear this would be a tough one for the judges.
And though he could’ve felt hard done by when his opponent was eventually awarded the win, Nichols was humble in defeat and voiced enthusiasm about stepping back in the ring.
“I was feeling the usual nerves before walking out, but I'm the king of blocking out emotions,” he said with a laugh.
“I felt really comfortable in the fight, felt like I belong in the ring - it's me. When the judges were reading out their decisions, I knew it would be close.
“We were so similar and traded shots equally the whole fight I felt it could have gone either way, but I think Dru did enough to edge the victory over me."
“I'm looking forward to the next fight, bring it on.”
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