Varty dominates tough titleholder to claim NZ belt

HISTORY-MAKER: Wairarapa fighter Brendan Varty (left), lands a blow on his way to winning a unanimous decision over Dynamite Doug Higgins to take the New Zealand World Muay Thai Council professional light middleweight championship title. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Brendan Varty has become the first Wairarapa kickboxer to win a New Zealand mens professional championship title.

Varty, 24, fighting out of Fortitude Thai Boxing Gymnasium in Masterton, took a unanimous points decision after completing five three-minute rounds against Dynamite Doug Higgins for the New Zealand World Muay Thai Council professional light middleweight championship belt.

Fortitude head coach Bryce Baron said Varty and his opponent weighed in at 69.8kg for the full Muay Thai rules bout, which was the main event at the Bringing the South to the City VI tournament at the ABA Stadium in Auckland on Friday night.

Higgins, fighting out of Smac Gym in Auckland, holds several New Zealand pro titles including the World Kickboxing Federation NZ 4-man welterweight belt, the WKBF NZ welterweight belt, the Thai Boxing Association NZ welterweight belt and is the current Industry of Combat New Zealand featherweight MMA champion.

Varty, who works as an Alfredton shepherd, had been most week nights making 120km round trips to Masterton for training over the past several months, Baron said, and was absolutely committed to his sport.

Baron said boxing coach John Kamo and fellow fighters who sparred with Varty at the Masterton gym had all helped during his rigorous training regime.

Varty turned pro last year after an amateur career that netted him five championship belts over several weight classes.

Last November he had beaten former European champion Nikos Gjika at the Brute Force 21 Clash of the Titans in Melbourne and in April defeated reigning super middleweight champion Edwin Samy in a non-title K-1 rules bout at the King in the Ring tournament in Auckland.

Higgins had trained for the title bout at the Tiger Muay Thai & MMA Training Camp in Thailand, Baron said, and had in the first round closely matched Varty for speed, power and movement in the ring.

"Higgins had a record of 20 muay thai fights and 10 MMA fights and we knew he was a very dangerous fighter and that we were in for a tough fight."

Baron said Varty took the first round after fighting smart, moving well and keeping out of range of Higgins' heavy-handed "bombs".

Baron said: "From the second round Brendan just totally dominated him and made him look silly.

"He hacked his legs, moved really well and used his angles, so Higgins couldn't really touch him.

"Brendan fully dictated every round after that and Higgins was beaten at the end of it. He's a tough guy but he was bloody messed up."

The weekend yielded two other victories for Fortitude, making an 11-fight winning streak for the Masterton gym.

Also on the Auckland tournament undercard on Friday was Fortitude fighter Jade Williams, 16, who fought and won his second full bout, fought over three rounds.

"It was a tight, hard first round and Jade defended well. He found his rhythm in the second and out-punched and out-kicked his opponent into the final round as well. Jade is looking real good and will be a star for the future for sure."

Another Fortitude fighter to win on the weekend was Zane Hopman, 89kg, who fought a heavyweight bout against Joseph Elia Patuki, 94kg, fighting out of ETK in Auckland, at the Deadly Debut 20 tournament in Wellington.

Hopman lost a point early in the opening round for an accidental groin strike, Baron said, and "the tactics had to change because we were a point down".

"Zane just went hard out with leg kicks, head kicks, knees to the face. He just devastated him and got an eight count. The guy barely made it through the first round and come the second, Zane just jumped in and finished him off."

Hopman became the top-ranked national title contender in his weight division, Baron said.