NEW British full contact kickboxing champion Stu Phillips paid tribute to his dad after his dramatic winner takes all punch-out.
Phillips was draped in the British WRSA men’s 75-kilogrammes belt to brilliantly cap an eight is great encounter for the York Martial Arts Academy fighter at the Cage Confrontation 3 bill at York’s Energise centre.
The 24-year-old joiner shared in a blistering showdown lasting seven two-minute rounds against Mikey Worswick of the Kokoro Kickboxing Club in Blackburn.
But at the end of the breath-taking bout neither opponent could be separated. Of the three judges one went for Phillips, the other for Worswick, and the third declared a draw. So under WRSA rules that meant an additional two-minute round to determine the victor.
And it was the gusty Phillips who prevailed with a furious fusillade of punches as he relentlessly tore into a now flagging Worswick.
As he reflected on his memorable conquest, Phillips said: “I am so chuffed, absolutely chuffed.
“I’d just like to thank my dad, Deano. He works me so hard. If it had not been for that work I wouldn’t have had anything left in the tank. To be crowned British champion – I’m just made up, made up. It’s brilliant.”
Another crown was captured for York in zip-fast but controversial fashion by fire-fighter Wes Nunns (United Masters/Legions), who took the WRSA semi-pro area Mixed Martial Arts belt at 77kg.
He launched a flying kick attack only for his opponent, Lee Tuff of Gouldings Club in Bolton, to grab his leg and force him to the canvas.
Almost instantly, Nunns skilfully turned his man and forced him into a stoppage signalled by referee Brad Conway. The Tuff camp protested vigorously there had been no surrender tap from their man, but the referee’s decision stood.
After the show the Bradford-based official acknowledged that he misinterpreted a hand move by Tuff as a tap, stating he had made the wrong call but had erred on the side of safety fearing had he not, the fighter’s arm may have been broken.
Title triumph again came to York as Nunns’ Legions’ team-mate Ian Houillebecq earned a unanimous points verdict over Chris Taylor (Jai Muay Club, Eastburn) to capture the WRSA area Thai 62kg crown.
Always the aggressor in a cagey five-rounder, Houillebecq connected more cleanly and crisply to sweep into an unassailable lead.
First on the title trail for York’s contingent on the bill was the distinction claimed by Chokdee Muay Thai Club’s Danny “Lights Out” Little.
One of the most stylish exponents of the art, he capped only his third fight since taking up the sport six months ago with a unanimous verdict over Sheffield’s Carl Tankard (Yorkshire MKA) to take the WRSA area Thai 67kg title.
Little countered from being caught by a sweeping Tankard cuff to totally master his opponent, who was the victim of a series of mule-strength kicks to body and head.
The other two title collisions yielded defeats for home fighters.
United Masters’ Billy Wilson was stopped in the third round of his scheduled ten by two-minute rounds WRSA heavyweight full contact Commonwealth kickboxing showdown against Warriors KB (Doncaster) veteran Michael Mann, while the WRSA junior area Thai title clash at 37kg between Louie Scott (Golden Team, Leeds) and United Masters’ Jim Henry O’Neill was just shaded by Scott.
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