Joshua Oxendine and Mark Irwin will clash to become BYB Extreme‘s first-ever 135-pound champion at BYB 17: Brawl at Rock Hill on May 13th.
The pugilistic proceedings broadcast on combatcast.tv/byb and the show will kick-off at 7 PM EST.
Oxendine spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News before this historic championship effort. Excerpts from the chat can be found below.
Joshua Oxendine
The last time out was historic because it was the first regulated bare-knuckle event in South Carolina history. Now you get a chance to make more history in the state with the opportunity to become BYB’s first male lightweight champion. Do you enjoy that kind of synergy with the whole thing?
“Yeah, it’s pretty dope. It’s a blessing from God that I was able to fight on the first show in South Carolina history in bare-knuckle. I fought a lot in South Carolina. Then to be able to come back and be BYB’s first lightweight champion, first 135 champion, and then also the first champion in bare-knuckle in South Carolina history. That would be the first.”
Joshua Oxendine continued, “So it would be pretty cool. I’m excited. Not taking it for granted. I’m working hard mentally, physically, and emotionally to make sure I go out there and do what I did my past two events which is knock him out.”
Joshua Oxendine vs Mark Irwin
Mark Irwin commented on the result post of your last fight and said “If he got dropped by that tomato can, just imagine what’s going to happen to this little altar boy when I catch him on the chin?”. Also, described it as easy work and said he was the true lightweight champ. What’s your response to that there?
“You know, he talks too much. So May 13th, he won’t be talking anymore. He’ll be sipping through a straw. So, if you’re really worried about what Mark has to say then you’re kind of bored. You don’t have too much to do during the day because he talks out the side of his neck.”
Joshua Oxendine continued, “So I ain’t really worried about Mark or what he’s talking about because of the fact that he got dropped in his first BKFC fight against an opponent who has I think a 4-15 boxing record. So Cody Jenkins would knock out Mark Irwin. We’ll see, he won’t last long. I’ll finish him faster than I finished Cody Jenkins. So I ain’t really worried about Mark… That was his biggest mistake of his career; signing the contract to fight me.”
BYB 17
Interesting parallels in this one with both of you being 2-0 in bare-knuckle boxing with a pair of stoppages each. What do you think of the X’s and O’s of what Irwin’s good at in the Mighty Trigon and also his resume?
“I’m not looking past Mark, I’m just looking through him. He’s 4-0 just like I’m 4-0. 2-0 in Boxing, 2-0 in bare-knuckle. You know, I just don’t see his game that great (laughs). Like I spar amateurs better than Mark. So I’m not taking him lightly. His mouth is better than his hands, let’s just say that. But like I said, we’ve got to get in there to fight. So I don’t talk a lot like that. I let him run his mouth on social media.”
Joshua Oxendine continued, “I let him post his little videos. But May 13th, he has to get in there with me and when he does his coaches can’t get in there with him. His friends can’t get in there with him. His family can’t get in there with him. It’s just going to be me and him. When he says fight and I hit him, his whole life’s going to completely change.”
BYB 17: Brawl at Rock Hill
I saw you had a post saying when it’s all said and done, you’ll be one of the best bare-knuckle fighters in the world. How much is this fight going to jettison you towards that goal?
“This fight is just; to me, it’s everything for me. Not just because it’s for a title. Not just because, you know, it’s in Rock Hill. I’m going out there to go 3-0 with three finishes. They call me ‘The Preacherman’ because I baptize people. Imma continue to do that and take people out… I don’t do wars. Don’t do five-round wars where we’re bloody. I don’t do none of that. I do knockout of the nights, I do finishes.”
Joshua Oxendine continued, “May 13th, Baby Shark will get finished. I will be 3-0, I will be a world champion, and then sky’s the limit. I’m the face of BYB and imma continue to be the face of BYB. So when it comes May 13th, my hand will get raised, I will have a belt around my waist, and we’ll go have a good night.”
