|
OPENING UP: Craig Jose has Zidov Dominik under fire in their world title bout. Photo by Alan Seymour: www.northeastweddingphotography.com
CRAIG JOSE is aiming to make a major international breakthrough after winning the WMC Muay Thai Against Drugs
middleweight world title.
The rangy Newcastle fighter produced an exhibition of precise punch and kick picking
to outclass Zidov Dominik on unanimous points and thrill his home crowd at the Liquid nightclub on Tyneside.
Jose’s victory over the Swiss former Contender Asia competitor made up for a controversial points loss to Saro
Presti in Italy earlier this year.
And the 30-year-old who has been the distance with Sahin Yakut and pushed Teerapong
Dee to a split decision at the Sportaccord Combat Games is now targeting thai boxing’s most prestigious honours
after grabbing the gateway belt.
“I think it was probably the best I’ve ever fought," said a jubilant
Jose.
“I’m 30 now, 31 in February, and and I want to spend another four years at the top.
“I’d like to get into travelling abroad to fight a bit more.
“I’ve only started to fight
outside the UK in the last 10 to 12 fights.
“I do see the title as a bargaining chip for the bigger fights
and I’d maybe like to fight for a WMC European title and ideally work my way up to a WMC world title.
“If
I can fight like that I don’t think there is anybody I can’t get in with."
Jose dominated from
the outset against the tough but one-paced Zidov, whose best spell came in a desperation rally at the start of the final round
as he went for the knockout he needed for victory.
Landing teeps and straight right hands to his opponent's
fleshy midriff, Jose also mixed in jabs and low kicks as he forged into the lead and kept Zidov at bay.
Zidov closed
the distance at the end of the second round to get a couple of elbows off but Jose began to go high with his kicks in the
third and started to put more power in his left hooks and right low kicks.
Jose got carried away and ushered Zidov
forward at one point and was punished with a right hand that knocked his head back.
Zidov was staring at a shutout
defeat however and received a rousing pep talk on his stool before the fifth round and went for broke at the start of it,
landing a good left hook as he discovered some overdue urgency.
But Jose weathered the mini storm and got back
on top, leaving Zidov's face a bloody mess as he closed out a one-sided title win.
Jose has been working regularly
with Darlington's WMC European welterweight champion Michael Dicks and his trainer Paul Hamilton and felt his improvement
showed in the ring.
“I think I’ve changed a bit," he said. "I used to just go forward all
the time and I feel this is a bit like version two.
“I’m a bit more confident with my ability to create
the distance game.
“I was never very good at working out my kick distance, I used to rely on a strong clinch
and my boxing.
“But I feel like my eye is a bit sharper and I see things coming a bit faster and working
with Paul and Michael has brought my game on a lot.
"We are bouncing off each other and Paul said Ralph Beale
from the WMC camp was impressed with me and there might be a chance to get in the King’s Cup in December.
"I
also wouldn't mind a rematch with Jordan Watson, who beat me in the semi-finals of the UK Contender a couple of years
ago. We will see what happens."
Lyndon Knowles
defied a hostile home crowd as he retained the UKMF English heavyweight title with a unanimous decision over Danny
Blenkharn, Jose's Faktory gym teammate.
Darren O'Connor and Wayne Fisher won two supporting four-man tournaments.
Knowles took some hard single punches and suffered a bloody nose late in the fourth round but was effective
with the clinch as he sapped Blenkharn's strength along the ropes and landed inside low kicks in the exchanges.
O'Connor (Tmas) clinched and kneed Anth Shelton for five rounds to win the 61.5kg tournament final by unanimous
decision.
He had beaten late substitute John Gaang on another unanimous vote in
the semi-finals, where Shelton dropped Scotland's brave Craig Dickson four times with body shots for a third round stoppage,
a fast and direct performance which earned him a consolation Performance of the Night bonus.
Fisher (Carlisle Dragons)
scored with eye-catching combinations against Glasgow's Michael Wiseman to pocket the 67kg tournament victory
by unanimous decision.
Fisher beat another Scot, Brian Stevenson, to make the final and Wiseman had advanced by
seeing off compatriot Andrew Foley, both on unanimous points.
In a welterweight single match, Annan Muay Thai's
Willie Dempster recovered from a low first round shot to floor Filip Piotrzadek with a right hand to the temple on the way
to a unanimous decision win.
Piotrzadek's dreadlocked and ungainly Mejiro Gym Amsterdam stablemate Regilio
Maarten also had to settle for defeat as he was dropped twice and stopped in the second round of an entertaining bout by Phoenix
Thai Boxing's Reece McAllister.
Two Spanish fighters also went home empty-handed as the Brit pack ruled on
the night
Luis Angel Munoz had some flashy techniques but was continually put on the back foot as he lost a Class
B unanimous decision at 61.5kg to precise and technical late sub Hardip Singh (Caledonian, Glasgow).
Female fighter
Ana Garrido fared much better in an enthralling B class featherweight match against Felling Warriors' Toni Phillips.
The Spaniard had a setback before the bout even started as she fell over the top rope while climbing into the
ring.
But she regained her composure to land several big counter right hands before being pipped on majority
points by Phillips, whose pressure and kicking game got her over the line.
Phoenix Newcastle heavyweight Carl
Adams enjoyed his pro muay thai debut in the opening fight, knocking out Scotsman John McGuinness in the first round after
scoring knockdowns with a knee to the pit of the stomach and a sweep.
The show received some high-profile publicity
with all fighters weighing in on the pitch at half-time during Newcastle's home Premier League draw with Wigan the previous
day.
Promoters Northern Fight League - Jose, his brother Mark and Paul Hamilton - plan to hold another
muay thai event in Newcastle early in 2011, with a function room at St James' Park mentioned as a possible venue.
Jose improved his record to 32 wins, 11 losses and one
draw with victory in the main event.
|
