But most people would not overcome adolescence self-doubt by walking into a gym and turning themselves into a one-percenter, like McCulloch did.

Not the self-styled one-percenters who "live outside the law" as bikies, but the one per cent of the population who could kick the ass of everyone else.

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As such, McCulloch's ultimate 21st birthday present would have been a ring war in which he won his debut Muay Thai amateur world title.

The Tamworthian turned 21 on Wednesday - his pursuit of a world title stalled at a national 58kg belt because of the pandemic.

Before Delta hit and the state went into lockdown, he had been scheduled to fight New Zealand's Alejandro Tellez for the Martial Arts Sports Association's vacant 60kg South Pacific title at Punchbowl on August 14.

Back doing bag work but still not sparring after Tamworth came out of lockdown this month, McCulloch has no fight on the horizon.

When COVID kept him out of the ring for most of last year, he had said the forced hiatus made him even hungrier for success.

"I reckon this time it's a little bit more frustrating," he said. "Because, obviously, I had last year off and I started this year really, really good."

In March, McCulloch successfully defended his national title for the first time when he stopped Sydney's Sean Lightford with a leg-kick onslaught at Punchbowl.

Despite the COVID-induced setbacks, he is still very much focused on winning a world title.

"Being atop that elite class is definitely the end goal for me," he said.

But regardless of how that pans out, he plans to turn professional - perhaps as early as next year.

"That's definitely the next goal after a world title fight ... the next adventure for me," said the 2019 Tamworth Regional Council sportsperson of the year.

On a long unbeaten run, McCulloch's record stands at 16 wins, two losses and two draws.

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