Paul Gallen has promised John Hopoate hell, and there is no better way to prepare than getting some rounds in with the first man that stopped 'Hoppa' in the ring.
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Canberra's Ben Edwards was called up to Sydney to spar with NRL premiership-winning captain Gallen (8-0) as he prepares to meet Hopoate (12-5) at the Hordern Pavilion on February 8.
Edwards beat Hopoate via first round TKO when they met in 2007, long before he became ANBF Australian heavyweight champion and eventually set his sights on the UFC.
Edwards (3-0 in MMA) will take his next step towards the octagon when he headlines Monaro Fight Circuit 29 against Wallace To’o in the promotion's biggest card in history at the Hellenic Club on February 16.
Football players experimenting with boxing are often lauded as a sideshow, but Edwards is adamant few rounds with the former State of Origin enforcer in the stifling Sydney heat was no easy task.
"We did six rounds and he is fit as, he’s in full pre-season as well, he’s not allowed to miss a session with the Sharks and he’s doing boxing training on top," Edwards said.
"I fought Hoppa on April 13, 2007. We had a quick chat about that and what his game plan was. It was good. He’s going to do well, he can actually box. He’s not just a footy player that does boxing, he has very good basics and he’s not easy to hit clean either.
"He impressed me when I was there with him. He’s doing really well. Even the harder things defensively, my biggest weakness is that my defence has always been just offence. He’s good, he’s slipping and sliding with punches."
While Edwards helped Gallen prepare for a grudge match against the controversial former footballer, the 34-year-old Canberran has a secret weapon up his sleeve in training camp for his bout with To'o thanks to Cameroonian Commonwealth Games competitors-turned training partners.
"I’ve come that close to breaking in training that many times, and I like to think I’m a pretty mentally tough dude, but he has physically pushed me to my limits," Edwards laughed.
"They’re classed as refugees at the moment but they’re on bridging visas. They’re looking at staying here full-time, they can work. Good for them, they come here and have a good work ethic, want to work, got skills they can teach people. They're not just coming here leaching off the government.
"You hear 'refugees' and people get a bee in their bonnet, but we want people like that coming here, because he is coming here with a good work ethic and skill set, he’s giving back and he’s just a great guy."
Edwards will headline a stacked MFC card, with Cooma's Ben Thompson to meet Dimitri Iliev for the MASA welterweight Muay Thai world championship in the co-main event, while local product Chris Burridge will meet Kiwi Josh Marsters for the MASA Commonwealth strap.
Those are just two bouts on a card set to host seven title fights - one world, one commonwealth, two Australian, one state, and two ACT belts will be up for grabs.
