BLOOD Fitness’ Kimberley Noel is all set to take on one of her biggest tests yet, facing UK’s Women’s Super-Featherweight number eight Katy Jebson in a Pro-Am B Class bout at the highly anticipated Combat Kings VIII event.
Taking place at Parsonage Downs’ Great Dunmow Leisure Centre, this event promises to be the promotion’s biggest, with six title fights headlining the card.
The bout comes after a frustrating period for Noel, which has seen her prior two match-ups, including a bout in front of her home crowd, pull out.
However disheartening this has been, Noel has ensured to remain sharp and stay positive, saying: “This is the most confident I’ve ever felt before a fight, as I haven’t taken a break from training for about nine months, so I’m feeling very sharp. Many have a bit of a binge after a fight, which they’re entitled to, so part of fight camps are about getting them fit. However, I haven’t got unfit at all, so this has been nine months of just pure work, and I’ve just learnt more and more.
“I’ve learnt so many new things with Michael (Blood), I feel like a completely different fighter to what I was four months ago. I’m just excited to finally get in there and show the new me, as I’ve been wanting to do this for so long.”
Such a lengthy absence from the ring has allowed the local star to “evolve” her game further: “I really feel like I’ve evolved in camp with forward pressure fighting, not so much with the skill, but just the mindset and believing in myself to do it. I’ve always been confident being a pressure fighter in the gym, as I’m familiar with them all, so I’ve always been competent in walking forward. Now, I’m a lot more confident in myself to charge forward and put the pressure on from the beginning, which is what I want to do.”
This strengthened confidence to be more aggressive feeds right into Noel’s approach to the upcoming bout, as she’s looking to “go for a finish”.
“Usually, I tend to have a slower start to my fights, to feel out my opponent, but with more experience it’s become a shorter period. Now, I just want to go in, give loads of pressure and make it really difficult for her.
“I know I have the stamina to do it, as I’ve now got the confidence and skill in my training that I know I could go all five rounds at the same pace. With another fight coming up the following week in the Jersey show, I’m keen to go for the finish.”
Although the Jersey fighter is feeling more confident than ever, Jebson presents a fierce adversary, with her UK ranking showing her class in the ring. Despite Jebson’s solid record, Noel is confident she has what it takes to handle whatever comes her way.
“She (Jebson) is from a taekwondo background, so has a trickier style of kicking to deal with, like axe kicks, but she’s not too aggressive. She likes to keep her space, and with the wide stance she’ll run in, throw something then just run out, not really wanting to engage. As she doesn’t like pressure, that’s exactly what we’re going to bring, as she becomes panicked when the space is closed. I have the longer range, so I’m going to use that to put the pressure on her and dictate the fight’s pace, so that it’s not close enough for her to be at range to fight.”
Unfamiliar territory lies ahead of the Caesarean coming into this bout, as she’ll be battling it out in a cage instead of a ring, which adds another layer to the challenge. “In my last fight, I struggled to cut off the ring and use ring craft to my advantage, so we’ve been working loads on that. However, when we found out that the bout will take place in a cage, that kind of throws everything out the window, as there aren’t any corners,” Noel continued.
“I tend to use the ropes a lot as well to lean on and find my ground, so I really don’t know what I’m walking into. But, I don’t feel like it will disadvantage me at all. It will be different, and the first round may feel a bit weird, but I know I’ll get comfortable. I don’t want to use the ropes any more, I want to walk forward and become more of a pressure fighter and I’ll be going for the finish.”
Noel will also be stepping up a weight class to 57.5kg. Noel’s return to action promises fireworks as it brings the high stakes of a UK ranking up for grabs, which has the potential to catapult the Caesarean’s career to new heights and open up more opportunities. A UK ranking would solidify Noel’s position among the nation’s best athletes in the weight class, which is the next step on her way to the top.
The team at Blood Fitness are a real tight-knit community, so they’ve been supporting their teammate wherever they can, acting as a great source of support. “I have trained with many at Blood Fitness. I train with Michael three times a week and have been working with Izzy (Medina) for the beginning half of the year. Then, I’ve worked a lot with Justin (Davey) and have done a lot more with Elysia (Parmesan) this camp, so everyone has helped me in some way,” said Noel.
“Then again, if it’s not them, then someone else will step up and help out, so it’s great to work as a team. As I train on my own during lunch hours, having reassurance from Michael and everyone else either side of that just reaffirms that I’m on the right track, mentally setting me up to counter the self-doubt and believe in myself. Working with different fighters allows you to learn from loads of different styles.
“As I’ve been developing my southpaw stance, Justin and Michael have been huge helps, as who better to learn from than a southpaw. They know what works and what doesn’t and can see where I need to improve, so I’ve learnt a lot from them.”
Noel is all set to take on Jebson tomorrow, at the Great Dunmow Leisure Centre, for a spot on the UK rankings.
