'I got in his head': Olympian Paulo Aokuso crowned champion after bizarre contract claim

Olympic boxer Paulo Aokuso was crowned WBC Australasian light heavyweight champion after a 10-round slugfest at the Uncaged event in Penrith on Wednesday night.

The boxing star from Mount Druitt in Sydney's west, who competed at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, defeated Clay Waterman via majority decision.

Aokuso had told Stan before the fight that he would only be paid if he knocked out Waterman.

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But in an interview with reporters inside the ring following his win, he admitted he'd simply been playing mind games.

"One-hundred per cent!" Aokuso said when asked if he'd be paid.

"I ain't fighting and not getting paid. That's bullshit.

"I wanted him to bring out the best in me. Obviously it changed his mindset. He didn't want to come and take me out ... I got in his head and I won the fight."

One judge ruled 97-93 in favour of Aokuso and another 96-94 in the Olympian's favour, while the other judge pencilled in 95-95.

The Aokuso-Waterman fight was originally set to be a co-main event alongside a scheduled bout between Kris Terzievski and former UFC star Tyson Pedro.

But Terzievski, who defeated rugby league great Paul Gallen in 2022, pulled out at the 11th hour due to an unresolved contract dispute.

"It didn't affect me at all," Aokuso said of the late drama.

"I had a job to do ... and I got it done."

Waterman, Aokuso's opponent, hails from Beaudesert in rural Queensland.

"I wanted to finish him early," Aokuso said.

"I stuck to my game plan but obviously it didn't go through. I dug deep and it went to the judges.

"I trained hard for this fight, and it showed I'm tough, I can stay in there, I can survive, and I put on a good show for the crowd."