Jordan Panthen Returns For Rounds Thursday on Fight Club OC Card

Ring rust is the real enemy in boxing. Super welterweight prospect Jordan Panthen is taking this to heart, getting back in the ring this Thursday, June 20, on a Fight Club OC series card at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California.

The venue is completely sold out, weeks after Panthen’s second knockout win this year at the same venue. Fans can see the eight-round main event on TrillerTV (formerly FiteTV).

Panthen (8-0, 7 KOs), who relocated to Southern California from Hawaii to pursue his pro boxing career training in Southern California’s high-level gyms, will face Victor Toney of Youngstown, Ohio (8-2-1, 6 KOs). The bout is Panthen’s third so far in 2024, keeping him on track to compete six times this year.

Panthen Looks to Extend Unbeaten Record

In his last fight, Jordan Panthen took out Ravshan Hudaynazarov with a body-shot knockout.

Panthen is a prospect to watch, but you can’t blink. He scored a first-round knockout of Adam Diu Abdulhamid of the Philippines (18-15, 9 KOs) on February 15, and on April 4, he made it to the second round before taking out Ravshan Hudaynazarov of Uzbekistan (19-6, 14 KOs) with a body-shot knockout.

In a recent conversation with NY Fights, Panthen says he won’t hesitate to take on whoever is put in front of him. “It’s easy to get a fight done. I take a week off, and I’m back in the gym,” working with trainer Julian Chua to stay ready.

Panthen admits he expected more rounds against his recent opponents. “I really never expect to knock anybody out in the first or second round. But stuff happens … I’m laying the foundation for the full fight because that’s how a smart person plans. But if you land a shot, something happens – boom! There you go.

“But the last fight was great. (Hudaynazarov) was a tough veteran opponent. He came out and hit me with a couple of shots. I tried to take my time, land the jab, and whatnot. But once I could see his punches coming, his power didn't bother me. When I see the body open, I hit him with a body shot, and that's what really did it,” explained Panthen.

Jordan Panthen says he loves a body shot knockout – as long as he's on the giving end.

As long as he’s the one handing them out, Panthen says body shots are fun. “Anybody could get knocked out to the face … The body shots are not up to you. You're fully aware of what's going on. You're fully aware of how much it hurts, and you're fully aware if you want to get up or don't want to get up.

“In a way, it's like taking someone's soul out of the fire, taking their will to fight. Because they're fully aware: ‘I got knocked down I can’t just stand back up, maybe I don't want to stand back up.’

“People always ask me, ‘What's your favorite shot?’ Maybe the left hook to the liver. But my favorite shot really is the one that lands.”

Scouting Report: Victor Toney

Toney’s two losses came against current world champion Sebastian Fundora and 2020 Olympian Troy Isley. He went the distance against both. However long Toney lasts with Panthen, he presents a measuring stick.

“He's a tough dude. He fights in the shoulder roll, he's built good, little height on him, which is nothing new to me,” said Panthen. He prefers to be the counterpuncher but said he may need to follow a different game plan, and he’ll be happy with a great performance, however it happens.

As the fights get more difficult and the rounds go up, Panthen says his job is to ensure that his body and his training hold up.

“I'm on a mission. I'm not gonna leave any stone unturned,” vowed Panthen, emphasizing he is committed to boxing for the long run.

“I’ve got to be perfect in mind, in my mindset. So that's why I try to be perfect, not just in a fight. It means on all standards: nutrition, meditation, sleep. Which is impossible, but I'm gonna try.”

“I want to impress and look good. Every fight I trained, like, honestly, like I'm training to fight for a world title fight. I could have been on that Ryan Garcia diet, drinking and smoking, and probably still win fights. But that's not the thing here.

“I want to be the best version in my head. And the only way to do that is to do your best in training camp. That’s the only way you expect to give the best version of yourself.”

Jordan Panthen Partnership With Trainer Julian Chua

Jordan Panthen describes his relationship working with Julian Chua as a partnership.

Panthen says his relationship with trainer Julian Chua is a partnership. At age 33, Chua is close in age to his fighters.

“I feel like Julian and me are kind of alike in our way. I feel like I'm coming into my prime, I don't see me coming into my prime for another two, three years, honestly. And I feel the same for Julian,” said Panthen. Chua also trains cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez, and former world champion Regis Prograis.

“I feel like he's kind of under the radar in a way. But he's coming up, he's coming into his prime. He’s a very smart coach, he doesn’t train anyone the same. He understands my number one strengths. Now, he sees other things that are also strengths but are not my go-to style.

Jordan Panthen, nicknamed “The Patriot,” describes himself as a soldier.

“I listen, I'm a soldier, we have a good camaraderie. I trust him. He knows boxing. He's a student of the game. Julian Chua is a name that is going to be remembered when he's done with boxing because I feel like he's a great young trainer.”

Panthen trusts Chua completely, to the point he’ll try anything Chua asks of him. Currently, Chua has Panthen working on breath-hold drills. The technique has been used by Ukrainian fighters like Oleksandr Usyk and Vasiliy Lomachenko, and the results speak for themselves.

Once weekly, after a training session at Brickhouse Boxing, Panthen goes to a pool and performs three sets, holding his breath as long as possible each time. It’s tougher than it sounds.

“If you’re just in a pool, not doing nothing, relaxed, and you want to do a breath hold, that’s one thing. Compare now training for two, two and a half hours straight. Now after the training doing a breath hold, it hits a little different,” said Panthen. Chua roots him to stick out each set.

“He’s right next to me saying, ‘Don't be a biatch, don’t be a sissy.’ Hearing those words, I get an extra 20 seconds’ worth at least,” laughed Panthen.

“You’re trying to make things harder. After training, your heart’s racing, and you’re physically exhausted. I do three sets, and I improve each set.” Panthen says he progresses from 90 seconds to 135 seconds to 150 seconds.

If Panthen wants to keep pace with the Ukrainians, Usyk’s record is reportedly four minutes and 40 seconds. He’s trying to get there and says finding something new to work on is exciting.

Jordan Panthen hopes to progress to a ten round bout by the end of 2024.

“I'm feeling good, and training has switched up a little bit this time. I'm performing at a very high level. So yeah, everybody's happy.”

Panthen says he’s in good condition, and if the early knockout doesn’t happen, he’s at his best in the later rounds. “Honestly, don't hit my groove until like round three, like my engine actually starts going.” Panthen said when he last went the eight-round distance in October, his best rounds were the final two.

But if he doesn’t need to stick around and find out, he’ll be satisfied with another stoppage on Thursday.

Panthen vs. Toney is the main event on TrillerTV (formerly FiteTV) as part of the Fight Club OC series on Thursday, June 20. A free seven-day trial is available. The standalone PPV is $14.99. Annual subscription for all programming is $69.99. The card starts at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Panthen vs. Toney is a sellout. It airs on TrillerTV (formerly FiteTV).