MIXED martial arts fighter Rocci Williams is looking forward to once again stepping back into the ring on Saturday for the latest fight in his professional career.

The venue for his next bout is the Rivermead Centre in Reading and he will face unbeaten Polish fighter Rafal Dziubaube in a middleweight fight.

It is one of the supporting bouts for Alex Owen's first defence of his world featherweight title.

The 28-year-old, who is a manager of a fitness centre in Reading, has been working hard to make sure he returns to winning ways after he lost on points at the end of April to Eddie Podolski in Nottingham.

Williams said: "I think a draw would have been a fair result, but they gave it to the hometown lad.

"If I was to say anything negative about my last fight, it was probably that I was playing the waiting game and that doesn't suit me.

"I was fired up too early and, when it came to the fight, I just missed that spark that I had in my second fight."

Previous to that, Williams lost his first-ever fight to Ed Smith when he was cut on his head, but in February recorded an excellent win over Kristian Evans with a submission.

In a very physical sport, the Basingstoke-born fighter has a heavy training programme under the watchful eye of coach Rich Harding, of the Third Wave Combat Team, based in Winchester.

Williams, who only started in the sport a year ago, also does boxing training at the Basingstoke Boxing Club with Liz Addington.

The Oakridge fighter said: "I feel my striking has improved since training with Liz, and my prediction for my next fight will be a knock-out."

Mixed martial arts is a sport which has in the past received a lot of bad press, but now has a strict set of rules and a governing body.

So cage fighting, which it is often referred to as, is picking up in popularity, especially in the United States and Japan, and is gaining worldwide television coverage.

Williams said: "I really enjoy it and there are so many aspects to what you can do in the ring or cage to win a fight, which means you have to be physically and mentally strong.

"I think it looks like there are no rules when you are fighting, but I can tell you there are and it has so many aspects from boxing and martial arts. I really think it is a sport of the future."