![The clash between Travis Druce (main) and Koen Mazoudier is the insiders' pick of the Sam Goodman Wollongong PPV card. Picture by Robert Peet The clash between Travis Druce (main) and Koen Mazoudier is the insiders' pick of the Sam Goodman Wollongong PPV card. Picture by Robert Peet](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ViGe8NXxNszpWGz2Wi7TWd/c841d18c-8d0d-4c43-a04e-6f04f05162f9.jpg/r0_0_2048_1365_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Sam Goodman's the headline act on the March-13 pay-per-view card in Wollongong, but plenty of insiders are tipping the lead-in bout between local hope Travis Druce and main-card veteran Koen Mazoudier to steal the show at the WEC.
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While Goodman takes on Mark Schleibs in main event, and former NRL stars Joey Leilua and Curtis Scott are set to throw down hard, the Druce-Mazoudier bout at super-welterweight has all the elements of a potential fight of the night.
Druce is 5-0 as pro following a decorated amateur career and looking for a big scalp to stamp himself on the domestic scene.
Mazoudier's place as one of the big dogs at the top of arguably the most-stacked division in Australia rests on seeing him off, especially coming of a last-start decision loss to Benjamin Hussein.
It leaves both with a whole lot to gain, and potentially lose, when they meet centre-ring over eight rounds.
Throw in the fact it was a bout Druce always wanted but couldn't secure at amateur level, and their showdown has the makings of a barn burner.
"I went through amateurs with him, going up with him through all the the New South Wales camps, now we've just collided when we turned pro," Druce said.
"I've always wanted this fight, but I had to get those [other] fights up. Now that we've got there I'm pretty keen. He was just the guy that I wanted.
"He's definitely going to have the experience over me, but I'm sparring eight rounds, 10 rounds and I feel feel sweet in there. I've had over a hundred amateur fights, so whenever I jump in that ring I feel comfortable.
"At the end of the day, we're both just in the ring, we both have the experience. This is just a big stage and big lights, but when I'm in that ring, I kind of zone out and I just get into it.
"It's no different any other time."
For the record, the 11-3-1 Mazoudier will walk in with 109 pro rounds under his belt to Druce's 19, though the latter is yet to drop a single one en route to his perfect 5-0.
"He's got everything to lose here, but I've got I've got everything to win," Druce said.
"All the background and stuff behind the scenes that I've done, it's always led to this point.
"I'm glad that it's come now because I'm obviously ready. I've always sparred the best pros in Australia, so it's nothing different to him.
"I bring energy to the fights. I'm not the not the type of fighter to just go in and try to knock people out, I'm there to have fun and just show my skills.
"Everyone in the gym loves watching me because of my style, just moving, don't get hit, and that's what I'm keen to show everyone else."
When to make the step up in class is juggling act for any classy amateur transitioning to the pros but, having guided Druce's entire career, coach Anthony Redward is confident now is the time.
"This was the fight that Trav I and I always discussed," Redward said.
"I've had him through his amateur career, so around 100 fights. Koen was a couple of years older than Travis and they were matched a couple of times in the amateurs and it never quite happened.
"They've always been on a bit of a path to fight each other and then we got offered him. Trent Rose from No Limit called me and said 'what do you think of this fight?'
"I said 'we'll take that fight. Travis has been talking about that fight, it's a fight we've always wanted for him'. Koen has the right experience level that we need to roll the dice for Trav."
While Mazoudier's fought a virtual who's who of the division, Redward's confident Druce will still throw something completely new at the Blacktown slugger.
"Trav will bring something very different that people haven't seen in professional ranks," Redward said.
"He's very different the way he moves. It's going to be a real hard fight for Koen as well, as much as it's going to be a step up for Trav, which it is.
"We need that experience level for him to get in and test himself and say, 'OK, this is where I need to be if I'm going to be at this level'."