Major titles on the line in Ennis fight night

It will be a night of champions next month in Ennis as three kickboxing titles – two national and one European – are up for grabs in the West County Hotel.
The main fight on the night, which will be hosted by Ennis Kickboxing Club, will be a ladies super heavyweight tilt for the WIMAAO European +70kg title between Dublin club, Fight Club Kickboxing’s Alex Ward and Lianne McAree-Murphy from Carrickmacross Kickboxing.
Ward is a tough, young up-and-comer who has held the Irish Kickboxing Federation junior light contact title and who became double British light heavyweight champion in her first full-contact fight.  She is the current IKF woman’s heavyweight title-holder.
Closer to home, local fighters Niall O’Donnell and Billy Kelly will be up against tough competition when they look to bring light middleweight and light heavyweight titles back to the Ennis club.
O’Donnell, a rangy light middleweight with ferocious punching power and superior boxing ability is 7-0 in the kickboxing ring, with one international performance under his belt.
He will take on experienced Belfast-based fighter Neil Smith for the Irish Kickboxing Federation’s light middleweight (67-71kg) title in what promises to be a five-round war.
Smith, with 12 wins from his 14 fights, is a tough ring operator and will be a challenge for O’Donnell who, while not a kicking stylist, possesses brutal power in both legs as well as knockout power in his hands.
The Ennis fighter typically sets a blistering pace from the opening bell but said this week that, given this is his first five-round fight, he would be aiming to rein in his instinct to brawl to ensure he is fresh in the later rounds.
If he can keep a clear head his reach, aggression and lightning combinations should be enough to allow him to boss the Belfast fighter in the ring.
Also taking a shot at a championship belt, Ennis Kickboxing Club’s Billy Kelly will take on Wexford fighter and former Irish title contender Vila Popa over five rounds for the IKF light heavyweight (75-81kg) title.
Kelly took the fight on just four weeks notice after the original challenger was forced to drop out but was eager to take the championship chance when it was offered to him.
Involved with the Ennis full-contact club for nearly two years, Kelly is a highly experienced martial artist, holding a second-degree black belt in seishinryoku karate, whose talent belies his 2-3-2 record.
The fast and fluid kicker who has looked better in every fight he’s taken, will need every bit of ring nous he has amassed over his career to beat the Wexford warrior known for his heavy hands and fondness for standing in the pocket and slugging it out.
A 16-bout card, 15 of which will feature local fighters, is planned for the night, with action starting at 7.30pm.
Six match-ups have already been decided. They are: Robert Clair vs Barry O’Neill (Wexford) 71kg; Michael Doherty vs Gerry Stafford (Wexford) 62kg; John Kerin vs Michael Ryan (Waterford) 100kg; Alan Coyle vs Marcus Manning (Shannon) 65kg; Luke Gallery vs Jamie Conroy (Limerick) 70kg (semi-contact); Dean Considine vs Aaron Stewart (Kerry) 60kg.