So Jorge Kapeen traded a boxing ring for an oval and a garage, with the words of coaches Dennis Arthur and Dan Higgins ringing in his ears: "Just keep doing whatever we can do and something will come up."

The call finally came, and now Kapeen [3-1] will face Michael Pengue [5-1] for the WBC Australasian welterweight title at the Bankstown City Paceway on December 11.

It marks Kapeen's second bout since February 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic derailed countless shows over the past 19 months.

Now Kapeen is on a mission to bring the regional crown back to Canberra in a bid to set himself up for major domestic fights.

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"I think it's a good opportunity, one I can take with both hands and propel myself forward. I'm not getting any younger, if I take this out it's going to set me up for big domestic fights and those are the fights I want to be in," Kapeen said.

"I want to bring that belt to Canberra and I want to defend it here in front of Capital Fight Show fans. In the stage of my career I'm in, having had four fights, it's a massive opportunity.

"The goals and aspirations I have, it will either confirm them or say I need to work more. It's a good opportunity because it's not like I'm fighting a world-rated opponent, it's another guy with a similar record, he's only had two more fights than me.

"It's exciting because it's a good match-up too, I'm not jumping right into the deep end. I feel like it's a very competitive fight. I'm 100 per cent confident I'm going to take this belt home. I know what's in front of me is a big task."

It's a challenge Kapeen is ready to rise to after working relentlessly through the ACT lockdown, often with no end goal in sight.

"I don't like to use the word 'manifest', but if you put the work in, the sport will pay you," Kapeen said.

"If you're just going to sit at home in between fights, when these calls come, you're not going to take them. If you're always doing something, you can take these opportunities."

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