Following last weekend's dramatic split decision win, Kiwi boxer David Light has turned his attention to a shot at a cruiserweight world title.
"The Great White" pipped American Brandon Glanton 97-92, 95-94, 94-95 in Florida on Sunday to earn a title fight against WBO champion Lawrence Okolie.
The 20-0 fighter told 1News the moment has arrived suddenly.
"You're just kind of petering along, building up your career slowly fight for fight, you get to a slightly bigger arena or whatever and all of a sudden you hit the big leagues," Light told 1News.
"It all just happens overnight - the thing you've been working for, it just all of a sudden is right there in front of you, it's so crazy and a little bit surreal."
Talks are already underway for the bout which coach Isaac Peach expects to be overseas.
"In about a week we should know whether it's in England or if it's down here," Peach said.
"I'd say it'll be in England and it should be in March or April."
The 31-year-old's recent win keeps his record in the ring perfect although Peach said their journey to that mark has been anything but.
"A year and a half ago, David snapped his Achilles and wasn't able to walk," he said.
"He was getting craned into a pool because he couldn't walk so to win a fight like that is a miracle really."
Light played it down as more of a "long journey" back.
"You've got to start from humble beginnings and I took a two-year hiatus after winning a silver medal at the [2014] Commonwealth Games," he said.
"Coming back to boxing really was starting again for me, because I was rolling around not really doing much with my life and so I just took a completely fresh look at boxing, forgot about my amateur stuff and started off in the ABA for $600 and now we are looking at something like the O2 Arena or something like that.
"It's pretty insane."
Light added his journey wasn't about the money though.
"There was only one goal and that was to go for a world title and win it and now we're just one more step."
SHARE ME