FIGHT FEVER: Bartlesville pro kickboxer eyes world title bout

Bartlesville ring warrior D.J. White has his focus set on bringing home a kickboxing title belt on Aug. 26.

The Washington County walloper will face Jose Montelongo (Arlington, Texas) that night during an explosive fight shot at the River Spirit Casino in Tulsa.

Montelongo adheres largely to a muy thai style that makes him a very good stand-up battler, said Randy Rouse, the owner of Team Rouse where White trains and also his coach.

“We have to not make any mistakes and we’ve got to try to be in tip-top shape,” Rouse said.

Montelongo’s normal operating procedure, according to Rouse, is to try to wear down foes in the early rounds and when he feels its time “it’s like he flips a switch — it’s kind of like a machine gun coming at you. A lot of muy thai fighters do that.”

White trains both in the muy thai discipline and in American-style boxing, Rouse noted.

“His strength are his roundhouse kicks,” he said. “They are very strong. At boxing he has always been very strong. He’s pretty well balanced right now.”

White has progressed in his fight approach, being able to relax until he walks in the into the ring and his head is in the fight, Rouse added.

“We expect to go in and bring a belt home with us,” Rouse said.

Following that event, Rouse plans to focus on completing preparation for his Team Rouse Fight Night on Sept. 17 at the Washington Country Fairgrounds in Dewey.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us the next couple of months,” he summarized.