Lafferty earns revenge to claim another belt

HE may have only had four kickboxing fights under his belt since taking the sport up after ending his boxing career, but Dennis Lafferty has already earned two Irish titles.

The Ballindrait man won the WKU 60 kilo crown shortly after taking the sport up and he bounced back from defeat to Barry Elliott for the ISKA K1 crown to clinch the WKU Irish 62kg belt against the same opponent in Derry’s Waterfoot Hotel at the weekend.

On this occasion, Lafferty’s success came down to following the carefully worked out instructions laid out by his Strabane Martial Arts Academy coaches, Mickey Coyle and Dee McIntyre.

“It was a good wee win. He beat me five weeks ago so it was even sweeter!,” Lafferty beamed.

“I was doing a bit of work in the gym with Mickey Coyle and Dee McIntyre and I stuck to exactly what they told me to do. They told me to slow it down a wee bit, to stay a wee bit closer and stuff like that.

“Everything they told me to do I did but I nearly got a bit carried away in the first round but they told me to stick to the plan, which I did and it worked.

“I felt good, felt brilliant, particularly over the last two rounds.”

There were several other Strabane Martial Arts Academy members in the Waterfoot Hotel on the same night with youngster Brodie McIntyre winning an exhibition fight. He was followed by Darragh O’Connor, who won well, winning every round in his bout before Jamie Foley clinched a first round knockout with an explosive finish. And Cathal McLaughlin also won comfortably before Lafferty sealed his Irish crown.

And after securing his latest belt, Lafferty is keen to stay as active as possible before travelling to the World Championships in Wales this coming Autumn. And he will start those preparations in a couple of weeks time in Wolverhampton when he takes on Kieron Piggott for the Five Nations title.

“I’m excited [about the Five Nations title shot], especially after last weekend!,” Lafferty beamed.

“I want as many fights as possible, as many rounds as I can because I need something to train for, something to focus on because I’m feeling good, feeling very, very good and I’m looking forward to the World’s next in Wales at the end of October.

“I’ll be hoping to get a podium finish over there. If I could get a podium finish over there it would be a good season.

“I’m not going over to make up the numbers. That boy I beat was a two-time Irish champion, a very good fighter, so if I can handle him I’d be very confident of getting a podium finish in Wales.”