So it came as now surprise that Lucas, just a couple of weeks after losing to Rocky Jerkic in his return to the ring - his first loss in his 10 professional bouts - locked in his next fight.

This time, he will step into the ring against former IBF world middleweight champion Sam Soliman - who has a 45-14-1 record in his career, which will come to an end after this bout.

"I originally got a message via email to see if I was interested in fighting Sam [Soliman], as his previous opponent had pulled out and they needed a replacement as soon as possible," Lucas said.

"I obviously jumped at the chance to take on this fight - it was too good to pass up.

"It's not everyday you get the chance to fight a legend of Australian boxing.

"And as this is his last fight before retiring, I had no option but to grab this chance with both hands."

As the fight was only officially announced last week, it leaves the 29-year-old only three weeks to prepare for the April 12 showdown at the Melbourne Pavilion.

"Twenty-one days is not long at all to prepare for the fight," he said.

"Thankfully I had already been working hard in the gym, following my last fight - just trying to keep in shape and work on my conditioning.

"The biggest thing is I have to cut weight a lot quicker than usual, but I'll manage that easily.

"The smaller preparation also means less sparring and pads sessions - despite that, I know come fight night, I'll be good to go."

As well as getting himself ready physically, Lucas and his coach Nudge Mieli are developing a strategy to bring down the 45-year-old.

"Whenever you fight someone like Sam, you have to expect the unexpected, as his style is a little bit awkward," he said.

"But Nudge and I are coming up with some tactics that will work against that physical style.

"Then on the night, we will reassess how we are going and how the fight is playing out.

"We are both very confident I can take the win."

If the former Commonwealth Games boxer were to take the win, it would set him up for even bigger fights later in the year.

"A win against someone like Sam is a massive deal for me at this stage of me career and will put me up the top end in my division," he said.

"It will open a lot of opportunities for myself moving forward, which is really exciting."

Following the fight, Lucas will take some family time away from the ring, as him and his wife Emma are expecting the arrival of their second child.

Lucas has earmarked a return to the ring in late July or early August, following the small break.