KIMBERLEY Noel, one of Jersey’s finest Muay Thai athletes, rose to the occasion in Birmingham’s SKS Empire IX event, beating Lucy Hield via unanimous decision.
“That was probably my favourite fight to date, really enjoyed the experience, and it was one of the best shows I’ve been to,”
Kimberley noel
“From the second round onwards, I managed to land everything I’d been training for in the last eight weeks. It just fell into place.”
Confidence was high, but Hield’s lack of fight coverage, due to most of her bouts being in Thailand, did hamper preparation, leaving Noel “unsure of what to expect”. Despite a lack of film to study, training remained intense, with Noel “training twice a day, six days a week”.
The bout was five rounds, with each one minute 30 seconds in duration. Hield proved to be a fierce adversary, as she didn’t hesitate to bring the heat. What ensued was a storming opening round, with Hield giving her all to put Noel away early.
“She really came out gunning for Kimberley. I have to say her aggression was underestimated,” said Blood Fitness owner and coach Michael Blood.
“They gave their all to finish it early, pushing our fighter into the corner and letting load on her, but Kimberley’s a different beast, too head strong for that.”
Facing the early barrage, Noel tapped into her skillset to weather the storm, utilising adept movement and blocking to evade strikes, then countering with kicks.
“With her training in Thailand, I thought it would be a slower pace, but she ran at me and threw everything,” explained Jersey’s Muay Thai star.
“I was caught off guard, but nothing she threw was really hurting me, so I knew I was going to be OK.”
After such an intense start, there was a feeling that the Briton gave it everything in the opening round, with Noel’s coach adding: “After the first round, I said to her ‘She’s just come out and thrown the kitchen sink at you there, and you’re still smiling.’
“’That was the hardest round you’re going to get’ I said, so it was only going to get easier, and Kimberley was all good.”
The intensity did not ease at the start of the second round, as Hield very much kept the same high-energy approach. But that was never going to be sustainable, and Noel’s opponent began to trail off at the round’s halfway point.
From there on out, Noel was able to take a firm grasp on the clash, landing everything to gain more and more momentum as time went on.
“Power was a key point to victory, as in Thai boxing it’s all about effect, rather then points scoring, to displace your opponent, knock them off balance and cause fear,” Blood explained.
“That’s what [Noel] does, and has the cardio to match. The local athlete’s power is well known, with her coach saying she “really hits above her weight”.
“We were working on loads of sweeps, and I landed four teeps to the face, which threw her off the gameplan and swung things in my favour,” continued Noel.
“I am an all-round fighter, so I was able to employ some back foot defensive fighting in the first two rounds and then be more aggressive in the next three to push forward.
“This was the first fight I felt 100% ready for, and I really felt that, as I felt I could do another three rounds at full power after the fifth, it’s a major confidence booster.”
Blood was incredibly impressed with the performance, expressing what it means for Noel’s future: “People will look back at this fight and go ‘wow, she’s something else.’
“Kimberley hit the next gear and made a big statement, so she’s really up there now, so a lot of girls will be adding her now.”
A busy schedule awaits the local star, but Noel will be ready, saying: “I do feel I should be up there with these girls, nut they’re not to be underestimated.
“I’ll be putting in a lot of work, but I’ll be ready.”
