Tyree lands European Muay Thai belt at Assassins Melton show

The promising Thai boxer fought Danish opponent Chaya Tran for the European Muay Thai title in what proved an entertaining and high-quality contest.

From the off, the home fighter looked the more comfortable, scoring better in the opening two rounds before a body shot in the third left the Dane facing a standing count.

Stevens caught his opponent with another body shot in round four to earn another standing count from the referee, but Tran was strong and held out until the bell.

The Dane had to finish the bout in the fifth and final round and took the fight to the Assassin, but Stevens managed the round to earn a convincing points win and the prized belt.

The win came hot on the heels of a dramatic English K1 title contest involving Assassins’ Darun Hassan and experienced opponent Ben Fahey.

A furious start saw Hassan floor Fahey within 30 seconds after a series of big punches.

Fahey got to his feet, but the respite was just temporary and the next knockdown became a knockout to give the Assassin the belt.

Thai Barlow secured a comfortable points win against an Italian opponent who seemed reluctant to engage after receiving an early head kick.

Home fighter Alex Vorfi went up against a Portuguese opponent in a K1 bout, but a slow start allowed his overseas opponent to quickly find his rhythm and boss the opening two rounds.

Vorfi finally got going in the third round in impressive fashion, but it proved too late and the Portuguese won on points.

There was also an international defeat for George Griffiths as Portuguese opponent Edi avenged the Assassins’ win in their first bout.

The Melton fighter started fast and used his hands well, catching his opponent several times with good right-hand punches.

Edi improved and began to score with kicks and several knees to the Assassins’ face.

Griffiths pushed the pace in rounds three and four and continued to score, but the Portuguese landed the eye-catching knees.

Evenly-poised going into the final round, Edi knew his opponent needed a big round and successfully moved and hit, catching Griffiths with another knee to clinch a narrow points win.

Assassins heavyweight Nathan Donovan suffered his first defeat in another very close contest.

Donovan opted to focus on the higher-scoring kicks, while his giant Birmingham opponent went for punches, and after five hard rounds, the West Midlands man took it on points.

Kane Chamberlain tasted comeback victory as he beat Jorge Diaz, from Portugal, in his first bout for seven years.

After a slow start in the first, the Assassin bulldozed his way through the rounds until the Portuguese corner threw in the towel, giving Chamberlain a fifth-round technical knockout.

Kane’s brother Kammal was also on the comeback trail after four years away, and overcame some ring rust to show his pedigree and potential in a points win against a Birmingham opponent,

The first international contest of the evening had pitted Naomi Blankley against another Portuguese fighter, 18-year-old Ana Rita.

Blankley demonstrated her impressive speed and determination to win all five rounds for a well-earned points victory.

Jase Perks gave a good demonstration of skills in a non-decision bout – following a late change of opponent – while Lewis Kelly was also left with a sparring session with Leicester’s Darren Smith after his opponent withdrew with illness on the day.

Tyler Swift opened the show and demonstrated his progress in another non-decision bout, before Arlo Musson reaped the benefits of three weeks of hard training with an impressive win against a Great Yarmouth fighter.

Harley Cole had a tough bout against a Birmingham fighter which rattled along at a lightning speed.

The Assassin did not shy away from the challenge, doing well to keep in with his aggressive opponent in a points defeat.

Chief instructor Mark Barlow said: “I was really impressed with Harley. He never quit and showed what heart he has.”

Mkaylin Kneeland also faced a Great Yarmouth opponent in a well-matched bout, using his slight strength advantage to wear down his rival and earn a points win.