Conquest 6 fight night heads to Blayney

SOME of the world’s very best martial artists will descend on Blayney tomorrow night for the Conquest 6 fight night, with the Central West’s best also contesting titles.

A total of 14 fights are on the card for the event that has been organised by Wellington’s Angle Gym.

Four national titles, as well as the draw card two world championship fights will be decided on the night. 

Leading the way for the Central West contingent is Orange’s Charlie Bubb, who gets his chance to become world champion. 

Bubb is undefeated to date and now has an opportunity to take the biggest win of his career.

He is the current holder of the interim Martial Arts Sports Association (MASA) world championship for the division, thanks to a walkover from his last fight where his opponent failed to show. 

But, for the first time he will get to fight for the true title when he takes an Michael Mathetha tomorrow.

Gym owner and event promoter Phil Bennett can’t heap enough praise on the Orange talent, who fights for the super middleweight title.

“Charlie’s got 32 wins from 32 fights. He’s such a talented fighter, but this is now his first title shot. He’s fighting the current champion and this guy is no joke. I certainly hope Charlie can win it ... he’s a brave kid,” he said.

“Every time he fights there’s moments I think that he’s bitten off more than he can chew, but he ends up knocking these big guys out like they’re nothing.”

Of the 28 fighters competing on the night, an impressive nine hail from the host town’s own gyms.

Another who Bennett has his eye on is Dylan McNabb, a welterweight fighter who takes his shot at the Australian title against Jesse March.

“He’s a little talent. He’d won plenty of karate titles but found it a big challenge here, but he’s taken it on. He’s a future star,” he said. “In his last fight he had two broken ribs but he kept that to himself. The kid he was fighting got him with a nothing shot to the ribs, but he went down and people were wondering what happened.

“He asked me to try and get a rematch with him [March] because he knows he could have done better if not for those broken ribs. 

“He’s been back for lessons and he’s shown that he’ll be 100 per cent fit and ready for this one.”

Bennett is excited to see Blayney get their chance to play host to such a large martial arts event. 

“I’ve done four promotions in Orange before, but this is the first one ever here at Blayney. I’d come to a few sessions there and noticed there was a lot of interest in it,” he said. “At this stage it looks like there’s enough interest to certainly make it happen here again.”

Doors at the Blayney Shire Community Centre open from 4.30pm with the first of the fights getting underway from 6pm.