Chilli's Muay Thai Gym duo James Thompson and Ryan Ward earn debut victories
On Saturday November 16, two fighters from Chilli's Muay Thai Gym in Scarborough stepped through the ropes for the first time, on the 'SBG Rising Legends 2' show in Newton Aycliffe.
First to step into the ring was James Thompson, who took on Aaron Pattison from Instinct Martial Arts in Middlesbrough, under N-Class Muay Thai rules scheduled for five rounds.
The first round saw Thompson land some heavy kicks to the legs and body of Pattison, who replied with some heavy punches, although Thompson kept his composure and finished the round scoring well with kicks and knees.
Round Two saw both fighters trading punches from the bell, until Thompson found success in the clinch, landing powerful knees. Which led to his opponent been given a standing 8 count by the referee at the end of the round.
In round three, Thompson wasted no time in getting back to work with his knees. After forcing his opponent into the corner and landing a flurry of sharp knees, the ref called an end to the fight, resulting in a impressive TKO debut win for Thompson.
Next to step into the ring was Ryan Ward, who took on Finley Kaid (Instinct Martial Arts) Under Amateur K1 rules.
Kaid came out in the first round trying to impose his will on Ward with some heavy punches and kicks, which proved unsuccessful as Ward kept himself behind a tight guard. As the round went on, Ward's pressure proved too much for Kaid, as he landed a right uppercut which wobbled his opponent across the ring, which was shortly followed up with a strong right hand, resulting in a standing 8 count by the referee.
Starting off the second round both fighters started the round strong, until Ward cornered his opponent and landed a perfectly timed head kick, which sent Kaid to the canvas. After beating the count, Kaid was immediately back under pressure from Ward, who landed another devastating head kick, resulting in a spectacular TKO win for the first time fighter.
Coach Danny Chilton said: "Both lads did outstanding! Their opponents were very evenly matched, so to both get wins by TKO in their first fights is a great achievement. 60 people from Scarborough supported them which was unbelievable, thanks to everyone that travelled."