Eyes firmly on fight night prize

Muay Thai sensation Jo Sutton had been hard at work preparing for her Saturday night fight at Ray Owen Sports Centre in Lesmurdie since early January when — with just two weeks to go — she was thrown a curve ball.

The World Kickboxing Association-sanctioned event was changed to become a State title bout, meaning each round would be a full minute longer.

Sutton’s trainer and Dragon Muay Thai owner Jay Harper said the sudden change was no problem for the 32-year-old to handle.

“I had a chat with my wife, Tania, who is our strength and conditioning coach, and we decided Jo was more than ready to take on the extra challenge,” he said.

Muay Thai sensation Jo Sutton had been hard at work preparing for her Saturday night fight at Ray Owen Sports Centre in Lesmurdie since early January when — with just two weeks to go — she was thrown a curve ball.

The World Kickboxing Association-sanctioned event was changed to become a State title bout, meaning each round would be a full minute longer.

Sutton’s trainer and Dragon Muay Thai owner Jay Harper said the sudden change was no problem for the 32-year-old to handle.

“I had a chat with my wife, Tania, who is our strength and conditioning coach, and we decided Jo was more than ready to take on the extra challenge,” he said.

“This isn’t the first time in the ring for her — this will be her seventh fight and she has been training for more than three years.

“Our gym is well known in the kickboxing world as producing hard and tough athletes and this bout is a rematch for Jo, so it should be an exciting fight.”

Sutton works hard to fit in training twice a day between her duties as wife and mother of two, but has no hesitation when it comes to Saturday night.

“I definitely plan to win and walk away with the title,” she said.

“After that, I will do everything I can to defend it.”

“Fighting is something I can do where I am me — I’m not a mum, I’m not a wife, I’m not my other commitments.

“I have a great gym and it really helps having a trainer who has had a professional fighting career, as he really understands what we go through.”

Harper is a former world champion kickboxer who retired ranked sixth in the world.

He has 36 years experience in martial arts and more than 35 professional fights to his name.

Sutton, who will fight in the featherweight division, is one of three fighters representing Dragon Muay Thai on the weekend.

Dylan Winter is hoping to maintain his unbeaten record and will head into his fifth fight.