Fife influencer Caz Milligan has lifted the lid on his reasons for facing former Dundee striker Nacho Novo in a controversial celebrity boxing bout.
The Methil TikToker will take on the ex-Dark Blues and Rangers forward at Glasgow’s Ovo Hydro on Saturday August 10 in an event that has shocked fans of the Ibrox idol.
It is Caz’s second trip to the ring, having faced Alan ‘The Property Boss’ Shields at a charity event in March.
The 28-year-old says the career of his dad Tommy – a standout amateur boxer from Buckhaven who also fought four times as a professional – has inspired him to pursue fight fame.
He said: “It has always been in the back of my mind.
“My dad is a retired, undefeated, professional boxer, he captained Scotland and travelled the world as a boxer.
“We grew up within the sport and trained a month here and there. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed.
“You see the other influencer boxers like Jake Paul smashing it, KSI with his Misfits stuff.
“I’m not wanting to wait on an opportunity coming, I’ll go away and create an opportunity for myself.
“Some take it seriously but to me, it’s entertainment and it’s creating amazing opportunities for everybody else involved.”
Fans predicted Fife TikToker would face Dundee United star
Caz kept his viewers guessing the identity of his football star opponent in a number of teaser videos.
The name of Dundee United striker Tony Watt featured in the comments section, with fans predicting a TikTok vs Tangerines showdown.
Rangers fan Caz said: “I had a list of potential people, but even that list of people would have been a slight step up and I wasn’t confident in them.
“I was in bed one night and Nacho Novo popped into my head. He was my favourite footballer growing up, he was my highest goal scorer on Fifa.
“I decided to message him on Instagram, an hour later I got a reply.
“We verbally agreed that we can make this happen, so I called some agents and made the agreement.
“It took around 17 days to get contracts finalised and signed, we met up and filmed the announcement video and here we are.”
Nacho Novo’s health
The event comes six years after Novo suffered a stroke, which happened just months after a near-fatal heart attack at a legends football match in Germany.
Caz said: “He’ll be totally fine. I’ve not been following football since I was 15/16 so didn’t know anything about his heart problems.
“It wasn’t until further down the line that he brought it up.
“I thought that this [issue] would bring people to say things.
“I didn’t want to let anyone affect this moment, I’ve worked hard and it’s a dream come true for 10-year-old Caz.
“It’s not going to affect his health in any way. We’re not going to invest so much money putting this on if it’s not going to happen or if he couldn’t manage.
“We’ve got it covered, people are saying like it happened a week ago, it happened six years ago.
“He still plays football, he trains consistently, he’s still fit and goes to the gym.
“He’s ready to go.”
What next for Caz Milligan?
Caz, who also runs a production company and clothing line, has big plans for the future.
The former dating show hopeful said: “After the boxing match I will continue towards world domination.
“When I started the online journey I told everybody that I would do this or that by this time.
“Nobody believes it but then I’ll go away and do it.
“This is not the finale, I’ve got over 50 years for a mission to inspire the entire world.
“I want to inspire as many people as possible and this is just another stepping stone.
“I want to get to the point where I have a big enough audience where I can use my voice in a positive light.
“Do I need to wind some people up in the process? Yes – but it’s all part of the plan
Tickets for Nacho Novo vs Caz Milligan can be purchased on Ticketmaster.
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