Lafferty and McLaughlin crowned new World Champions in Wales

TWO members of Strabane Martial Arts Academy earned titles at the WKU World Championships in Wales at the weekend.

Cathal McLaughlin won arguably the bout of the tournament in the full contact section against a Lebanese opponent to seal is gold medal and Dennis Lafferty overcame a German foe to seal the low kick crown.

For Lafferty, who is also the reigning Northern Ireland and Irish low kick champion, his latest title is reward for the hard work put in behind the scenes.

“It was a great week, a brilliant week but it’s complete madness [to be a World Champion],” beamed Lafferty, who was keen to thank his club coaches Dee McIntyre and Mickey Coyle for their support since he made the move to kickboxing.

He continued: “There was some pressure going into the last fight but everything ended up well in the end up!

“Before the event I was confident and I thought I could get a podium if I trained hard enough because I’d fought some good fellas over here.

“I knew the standard over there would be a bit higher maybe but I put the training in for it and that gave me the confidence because I knew I was fit for it.”

It wasn’t a straightforward win in the final for Lafferty, however, with his German opponent producing some gamesmanship in an attempt to get him disqualified.

“I watched him in an early fight, but in the final he was much more illusive, so I got a bit of a shock.” Lafferty explained. “And I was lucky not to get disqualified because he I was clearly kicking him in the knee but he was holding his nuts! I got one warning for it and if I’d got another that would have been it. It was shocking, it was embarrassing so I was a bit wary after that.”

McLaughlin was also involved in an eye-catching final against a Lebanese opponent who had actually defeated the Tyrone man earlier in the tournament. However, the Strabane man turned the tables with a stunning display in the decider.

“I thought Cathal won the first fight, but it was a good fight,” Lafferty observed. “But the final was a serious scrap, it was the fight of the tournament by a mile, one of the best I’ve seen.”

It’s quite the achievement for the relatively young club to have two world champions and Lafferty, who is also the reigning Northern Ireland and Irish low kick belt holder, it’s something for the Academy to build upon.

“To have two World Champions, an Irish champion and a Northern Irish champion is a good achievement,” he beamed.

“But there are a lot coming through and there are a couple of juniors who are very, very good, so if they keep at it they will have a big future ahead of them.”

Lafferty also fought in the K1 category, earning a bronze medal in Wales to add to his gold in the low kick section, but he will now turn his attentions back to boxing throughout November when he has a big bout scheduled for the GCO 60kg Irish title.

That fight is scheduled to take place on November 26th in the Fir Trees Hotel, Strabane, where he will take on the second ranked fighter in the GCO standings, Gary McDonnell.

And while Lafferty has been focused more on kickboxing than the Queensbury rules of late, having not had a boxing bout since an international match against England at Villa Park some seven years ago, he’s confident of victory.

“He’s ranked number two in the world, so it’s going to be a good fight,” Lafferty acknowledged.

“I’m confident stepping in because I’ve been sparring away and I’ll have the warm-up fight, so I’ll be laughing!”.