Eli Burke set to fight for Junior WKBF Australian Light Paperweight Title in Brisbane

Burke will represent Fightclub272 when he takes on a competitor from the NTG Fight and Fitness gym for the Junior WKBF Australian Light Paperweight Title at Brisbane.

At a young age Burke already has a wealth of fighting experience to his name.

He's taken part in 17 Muay Thai fights and prior to that he has been a participant in more than 300 kyokushin and karate bouts.

Over the past six years Burke has honed his skills in Muay Thai and now feels prepared for his biggest test yet.

And when it comes to what motivates him the most ahead of every fight?

Burke didn't hesitate with his answer.

"The feeling of winning."

He'll chase that feeling against an opponent he fought a little over eight months ago.

The pair couldn't be split on that day, so Burke goes up to Queensland with a feeling of unfinished business.

"I've had a good training camp and I'm feeling really good for this one," he said.

"My last fight was in September against the kid I'm fighting. We had a draw, and that's why they wanted us to fight for the Australian title."

Burke's trainer, Tony Brazier, said he's looking relaxed and focused ahead of the big day.

"He's been going very well. He's committed and he loves the sport," he said.

"Lately we've given him a bit of a break rather than pushing him too hard. He's been playing a bit of footy rather than just doing constant pad work.

"His preparation has been really good and he's looking really fit."

Eli's father, Tim, couldn't be prouder of the effort his son has put in to develop his skills.

"I'm very proud of Eli's devotion to Muay Thai. He has put himself on the Australian map by training hard and fighting with a unique style," he said.

"He has plans of becoming a world champion and this is just the beginning.

"Eli should be proud at only age 11 fighting for such a prestigious belt. I'm looking forward to being in his corner again with Tony and watching him perform at the highest level.

"It's a testament to Tony and the years of training he has used to develop Eli into becoming a lethal young fighter."

Tim said this will be the biggest stage yet that his son has fought on.

"From starting six years ago to now he's come a long way. He started off with karate when he was five years old before we swapped over to learn Muay Thai with Tony," he said.

"He's won a couple of national titles before, but that came in a karate background.

"This is probably one of the most prestigious titles for a junior to get. He's coming up from New South Wales, training out of a little gym, and now fighting in Brisbane. It's massive."

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