‘Hot Rod’ Radivoje Kalajdzic (27-2 19 KOs) makes his debut on this week’s edition of Wednesday Night Fights in Plant City, his first appearance of the year as he faces Englishman Mickey Ellison (14-4 5 KOs) over 10 rounds. The two will meet at Light heavyweight as the headline of the evening.
Born in old Yugoslavia, Kalajdzic came to the U.S. when he was 7 years old due to the Bosnian War, settling in St. Petersburg, Florida where he found his love for the sport. “I went to the gym and I fell in love with it” ‘Hot Rod’ declared in an exclusive interview with Probox TV when asked about the influence of boxing in his youth. “My Dad loved watching Mike Tyson, he’s one of my favourite fighters. I grew up watching him.”
As the date approaches for the midweek action, one can only expect fireworks as two hungry fighters clash for recognition and ascendancy.
Now with over 12 years experience as a professional and high knockout ratio, ‘Hot Rod’ is acquainted with being in the spotlight, fighting on big events over the course of his career. From receiving a controversial split decision against Marcus Browne, to challenging Artur Beterbiev for the IBF World Title, Kalajdzic has earned his stripes and respect as a serious contender through his ascendance in the division.
Despite reaching world level competition, Kalajdzic critiqued himself on his past performances ahead of his showdown this week. “I’m not the same fighter that fought Marcus Browne and [Artur] Beterbiev” affirmed ‘Hot Rod’ “Those fights were sloppy, I was just swinging, you’ll see a whole new ‘Rod', picking my shots, staying calm, and not being wild”
Giving his prediction ahead of time, Kalajdzic concisely confirmed for his Florida fans “Knockout. He comes forward. I come forward. It’s a 10 round fight, a long fight. Someone’s getting knocked out”.
His opponent responded in a similar manner when asked what we should expect ahead of his bout with ‘Hot Rod’; “Blistering” Ellison added “Coming away from home, it gives you that bit of extra spite. I’m not coming to play around, I’m coming here to win”
