Kickboxing: Bay's Ceazer claims national Muay Thai title

ACHIEVEMENT: Pumipi Ngaronoa won the New Zealand World Muay Thai Council 61.2kg class pro title.

Ceazer rules again!

No Julius Caesar, the Roman ruler from the BC days, hasn't returned from the dead. Dannevirke Bulldogs Gym kickboxer Pumipi Ngaronoa, 26, who boasts the fight name "Ceazer" captured the New Zealand World Muay Thai Council 61.2kg class professional title with a points win against Sone "the Arch Angel" Vannathy of Porirua in the feature fight at the Eruption 6 fight night in New Plymouth at the weekend.

"To beat someone like Sone is an awesome achievement and to get a New Zealand title off him made it sweeter," Ngaronoa said after the five three-minute rounds.

Vannathy, 33, who held the title for 18 months applied the early pressure and hit Ngaronoa in the face with a knee.

"I fought through that and came back stronger towards the end of the third round. I dropped Sone in the fourth round with a knee and he had a standing 8 count. I was dominating and this meant he had to knock me out in the fifth to win ... I managed to hang on," Ngaronoa recalled.

A two-time King of the Ring 62kg class champion, Vannathy, is also a World Kickboxing Federation champion.

"Sone is highly ranked and respected. I respect him ... to fight him and beat him is pretty special," Ngaronoa said.

The Ben Ahipene-trained Ngaronoa intends to have a week off training before he starts preparing for a crack at the vacant national 63.5kg class title.

"I'm the No1 contender for that now and it's a good goal to have," Ngaronoa said.

The weekend's fight with Vannathy was Ngaronoa's fifth after returning to the sport in August last year after a five-year spell. His previous highlight was a silver medal in the 63.5kg class at the 2007 world championships in Bangkok.