Ellis Badr Barboza's journey from homeless child to world title challenger - dream championship fight live on Sky Sports
Watch Ellis Badr Barboza fight Prajanchai PK Saenchai for the ONE Strawweight Muay Thai world title, live on Sky Sports Mix from 1am on Saturday morning; Birmingham's Barboza was homeless as a child, now he is challenging his own idol for world championship glory
Friday 7 February 2025 13:51, UK
Ellis Badr Barboza plans to complete a remarkable journey from homeless child to world champion.
He intends to do it against his own icon, when he fights Prajanchai PK Saenchai for the ONE Strawweight Muay Thai world championship, live on Sky Sports.
Growing up in Birmingham, when he was just six years old, Barboza and his mother were made homeless.
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It was a harsh childhood, with Barboza staying in shelters, hostels, wherever his mother could find, sometimes sleeping on sofas or just a mattress on the floor.
"When I reflect on it, I've come a long way from that little kid in Birmingham. I was a troubled kid, and with many things going on, I was lost," Barboza said.
"It's been a long journey of ups and downs. Not just in life but in sport too. Winning and losing. I've endured and persevered. So I feel I'm very close to showing it was all worth it.
"I'm only 24 but I've matured a lot and come a long way from there. Nothing can faze me in this world.
"My life has changed a lot. It'll change even more when I win the belt," he added.
"This means everything. It's not just the belt. It's family. My mum, my sister - everything that comes with being a champion, it's life changing.
"It opens the door to money, business, success, this means more than anything."
His world championship shot, in the early hours of Saturday morning live on Sky Sports Mix, against Prajanchai, a reigning two-sport world champion in both kickboxing and Muay Thai.
"I'm a huge fan of him. He's a legend. It's a huge honour to be able to fight him. Getting the belt is one thing, but beating an icon like him is another altogether. I used to study him when I'd be running on the treadmill, thinking one day I want to be in this promotion fighting guys like him," Barboza said.
"Especially when I first started, he was always champ at my weight. So I learned a lot from him when I started to train as a young kid. Now I get the chance to fight him."
But he added: "Prajanchai has had his time. It's time for a new generation."
He believes he can engineer an upset at Lumpinee Stadium in Thailand.
"I love this. Every fight that I happen to be the underdog in, I thrive in. It gives me the power to cause a scene," he said.
"I love getting to say: 'I told you so.' I love silencing doubters. That's the whole fuel for me. Try and doubt me and see what happens."
Watch Ellis Badr Barboza fight Prajanchai PK Saenchai for the ONE Strawweight Muay Thai world championship, live on Sky Sports Mix from 1am on Saturday morning.
