Fighters soar at Ignition Pro

Four fighters from Port Kennedy Muay Thai gym Beastmasters Australia battled it out at an Ignition Pro event in Morley on December 3, coming home with two knockout victories and a title belt.

Joshua Day, Brant Soden, Paul Clark and Rhys Hall all stepped inside the ring at John Forrest Secondary College for Ignition Pro, with the team hailed for its efforts.

Day, who fought for the Muay Thai Australia 72.5kg State title, won his bout via unanimous decision after five gruelling rounds.

Soden and Clark were also victorious, winning respectively in the first and second rounds via technical knockout, while Hall fought hard but was unable to get the victory. Day said it was a proud moment for the athletes at the Port Kennedy gym.

“Coming away with two knockouts and a belt, there were some very strong performances from our gym,” Day said.

“The guys put in a lot of hard work in the lead-up to the fights — they did really well.”

In the six-week build-up to his fight, Day completed 138km of running before training, 6000 push-ups and sit-ups, 120 hours of Muay Thai training, 360 three-minute rounds on pads and also lost 8kg to make weight for the bout.

Having previously fought at heavier weights, Day said he had had some doubts about how his body would perform.

“This was my first time fighting down at that weight — I’ve always fought heavier,” he said.

“I was unsure how I would go and whether I’d feel drained, but I felt good — I felt strong and fit.

“I plan on defending the belt next year.”

Day’s success in the sport is all the more remarkable given the fact he works in the navy, where training at sea can often prove difficult.