BLOOD Fitness continued to put Jersey on the map and make its presence known this past weekend, with Kimberley Noel winning the WMO Featherweight British title.
Taking place on Saturday evening at Park Hall Road Charnock Richard, Preston, Noel travelled out alongside fellow Blood Fitness athlete Dilan De La Haye to compete in the much-hyped Enigma Fight Series 5 event – which is known as one of the most reputable promotions in the UK.
Headlining the evening for Blood Fitness was Kimberley Noel, who went to Preston and conquered the biggest test of her career thus far in the form of the UK’s number-two-ranked featherweight Alice Johnson to get her hands on the WMO belt.
“This is my biggest achievement to date, now holding the WMO British Women’s Featherweight title and being ranked number two in the UK.
“It gives me the recognition I feel I’ve earned through all the dedication and hard work I’ve put in,” said Noel.
“The belt represents all the hard work and sacrifices I’ve made – but it’s not just mine. It belongs to my coach, my gym, my daughter and everyone who has supported me along the way.
The Caesarean warrior had nothing but praise for the event, adding: “This was the best UK show I’ve fought on, we were well looked after from the moment we arrived and I’d definitely fight on it again, as they consistently put on some of the best fights in the country and give fighters great opportunities.
“It was her home crowd, so I expected a loud entrance – but, it didn’t affect me. Once I’m locked into the fight, I barely notice the crowd, and I’m used to fighting away.”
Although Noel felt “strong and quietly confident” going into the fight, she was well aware of the danger her opponent possessed, knowing she was “technically stronger and more experienced”.
However, nothing was going to throw off Noel as she was locked in from the opening bell to apply steady pressure and walk down her opponent with heavy shots, visibly hurting Johnson by round two.
At the end of round two, Noel produced a big moment to tip the fight even more in her favour, delivering a huge elbow to cause significant swelling.
Noel certainly didn’t drop the momentum, as she increased the pressure in round three to move away from the longer strikes and go into the clinch with knees and elbows, opening a cut on her hairline.
After a brief doctor check, Noel continued under Michael Blood’s instructions with the straight knees and elbows, prompting a doctor stoppage about 30 seconds later after a further two cuts from elbow strikes to seal the title.
“During the fight, I didn’t feel fazed by what she was throwing and felt very comfortable throughout,” Noel shared. “We realised our game plan was working early, but I’d have liked a full five-round battle to show more – I guess we’ll have to save that for the 25 July.”
With another big win under her belt, Noel has her sights set on what lies ahead, keen to keep pushing on: “I hope that, with the recognition of becoming the number-two ranked fighter and holding the title, it continues to open up more fight opportunities.
“I’ve got a fight on the home show for the 25th of July, with a few more lined up in the UK towards the end of the year while also looking to dominate the 55kg division.”
Noel wasn’t the only fighter flying the flag for Jersey on Saturday, as the promising up-and-coming prospect Dilan De La Haye made his long-awaited comeback to the ring for the first time since September last year, when he got the finish while nursing a broken arm.
However, a tough test lay ahead for his return, as he stepped up against WMO British Champion Riley Palin in a welterweight bout.
Everything started out “sharp and clean” in the early rounds, as De La Haye moved around the ring well to land impactful leg kicks and maintain the distance.
However, fortunes switched around for the next three rounds, as Palin found his rhythm to start dictating the fight, getting De La Haye in the clinch and landing loads of knees and elbows to help drive the fight in his favour.
As valiantly as De La Haye fought, Palin continued to land with effect, causing two eight counts on his way to scoring the decision win.
“Everything started off well and the first two rounds were really clean and sharp, but he then closed the distance from rounds 3-5 and got me in the clinch, landing a lot of elbows and knees,” reflected De La Haye.
“I think staying in the clinch for too long and staying still in certain spots during the latter rounds were costly and didn’t work out well. Despite the loss, I was really proud of my movement – it was really quick and I got myself out of the ropes and corners well.
“I’m feeling good after the fight – I’ve only got a little fracture because of my plate, but that won’t take long to heal. I’ll definitely have to work on managing my weight, as I’ll just be fighting giants at anything higher than 65kg, but now it’s just a case of healing up and training for the next one.”
