Lightning-fast stoppage for new champ

It took Ennis Kickboxing Club’s Niall O’Donnell barely a minute to clinch the Irish Kickboxing Federation’s light middleweight title at a fight night in the West County Hotel in Ennis just before Christmas.
With a significant height and reach advantage, the Clare fighter looked sharper and more powerful than Belfast’s Neil Smith before the bout began and it took him little time to cash in on his physical advantages.
Instead of making his trademark fast-paced, aggressive start, O’Donnell came out at a slightly slower pace than normal before unleashing a big front kick at Smith’s body to close the distance between the two fighters, following up with left-right combination.
As soon as his first punches landed and it became clear that the Belfast fighter was unprepared for O’Donnell’s power, the Ennis kickboxer was like a shark that has caught the whiff of blood in the water.
Moving forward with faster and faster combinations of lefts, rights and uppercuts, he hounded the Belfast man back towards his corner before a booming cross followed by an uppercut sent Smith reeling into the ropes.
Even as the ref began his count it was clear the fallen fighter had had his heart taken from him and, 10 seconds later, the Ennis Kickboxing Club had a new champion in its ranks.
“I was delighted but I don’t know has it hit me yet.” O’Donnell said.
The fighter said he didn’t know what to expect from his opponent before the fight beyond knowing he had some boxing experience.
“I’ve never been so nervous in my life. I wanted to go the five rounds.”
“[When the fight started] I was waiting for him to hit me and he was taking too long so I just threw out my front leg to see what way his reaction was. Then he tried to throw a punch and I retaliated. When I pushed him back onto the ropes and I could see where he was going I knew I had him,” the champion said.
O’Donnell already has his eyes set on another Irish title, one weight category up at 75kg. Beyond this he has also been offered a place on the Irish kickboxing squad as a middleweight having already fought, and won, for his country as a light middleweight.
His next likely title opponent will be Vila Popa, who won the IKF middleweight (75kg) title against another Ennis Kickboxing Club fighter, Billy Kelly, the same night in the West County.
There was double cause for celebration for the O’Donnell clan on the night with Niall’s father and head coach of the Ennis club, Tony, being his awarded his sixth degree black belt by the IKF.
While he started back to training with his club last Thursday the fighter says he’ll take some time out to recover from the arduous weight cut he endured to make the title fight before taking a run at another belt.
Despite the brutal brilliance of his win, however, O’Donnell still wants more from himself competitively. “I wanted to go longer,” he said. “Training so hard for it, I wanted to prove myself. I’ve never gone over three rounds.”
If he keeps fighting like he did to win the title, it may be a long time before anyone manages to give the kickboxer the long fight he’s looking for.
The Ennis Kickboxing Club weren’t the only winners on the night, meanwhile, as the club also raised €300 in aid of the Special Olympics.