::DEEP SOUTH BOXING::

Dardar Simply Happy For Opportunity To Fight For Championship

Thomas Dardar, center, is flanked by trainer Kennedy McKinney, left, and manager Damien St. Pierre. (Photo credit: Team Dardar)

By Randy Hammons
Editor

Thomas Dardar started boxing pretty much as an afterthought. Starting a professional career at the advanced age of 31, Dardar never envisioned championship belts or riches to come from his labors.

But roughly 30 months after entering the ring as a pro, and eight victories - including five by knockout - Dardar (8-1, 5 KOs) finds himself in the unique position of fighting for a regional championship.

The 35-year-old Dardar meets Louisiana State Lightweight champion Mason Menard (9-1, 7 KOs) Thursday night (Feb. 25) in the 8-round main event on BoxNCar Promotions' "Battle for the Belt" card from the Rayne, LA Civic Center.

The fight will be Dardar's first fight scheduled for longer than fur rounds.

Dardar, from Thibodaux, LA, will be taking on Menard in Menard's hometown. Dardar and his team - trainer Kennedy McKinney, a former Olympic champion, and manager Damien St. Pierre - reportedly asked weeks ago for the opportunity to fight Menard in the belief a Dardar upset was very much a possibility. That brash thinking reached Menard, who has taken the challenge somewhat personally.

Dardar chose to take the high road about such talk.

"I've seen Menard fight a couple of times. He's a very skilled fighter and pretty durable," Dardar said. "He looks like a real good fighter. I'm very happy to get the opportunity to fight him.

"I never thought I'd ever fight in a main event. I'm very excited to get the shot at fighting for the lightweight title," Dardar said. "It's what I always wanted. It's not a world title, but it's (like) a world title to me. Menard shouldn't be upset (about the challenge). To me, it's a good thing for both fighters. There's no animosity on my part."

A southpaw, Dardar enters the fight with Menard off a 2nd-round knockout of Cedric Phelps in November at Cut Off, LA. That was a fight in which Dardar was floored twice in the first round, but rallied to win. He has been down three times in his career.

"It's always a good thing to be able to get up," Dardar said. "I think my getting up twice kind of took the spunk out of the other guy. In the second round it looked like his spirit was broken. Getting knocked down is definitely not a part of my strategy."

Dardar is originally from Golden Meadow, LA. He said he simply wanted to try his hand at boxing.

"I walked in the gym one day (in Thibodaux) and started fighting," Dardar said. "I found out I was pretty good at it."

Before he turned pro, Dardar said he had but 10 amateur fights.

After the gym in Thibodaux closed, Dardar started training in Golden Meadow.

"I'm just happy about this opportunity to fight Menard," Dardar said. "There was no reason for me not to take this fight. If I give 110 percent, I'll be happy with whatever outcome it is."

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