Assassins fired up for upcoming bouts

Wanganui fighters Craig Mercer (left) and Lee Karamaina spar during training yesterday.

Wanganui mixed martial arts fighters are gearing up to inflict damage on opponents in upcoming bouts after showing no mercy to rivals in their most recent competition.

Wanganui Assassins Guild mixed martial arts fighters Kyle Callacher and Craig Mercer perhaps have the toughest bouts looming and judging by Mercer's brutal form in his last two competitions he is ready for battle.

On Saturday just gone Mercer had his second A class fight in Wellington at the Capital Punishment 22 show where he inflicted a stoppage by submission in the first round with a nasty arm-bar. In fact, Mercer snapped his opponent's inside elbow ligaments during the grappling bout.

"He had been trying to pop my knee out and I thought that wasn't allowed under the rules, but when I quickly glanced at the referee he said it was okay," Mercer recalled.

"That fired me up and I managed to get back on top of him and after a bit of grappling I managed to flick around with his arm and it tore his ligaments."

With his last ring fight producing a second round head-kick knockout at Eruption 3 in New Plymouth, Mercer is looking to continue to finish all his fights inside the distance.

Gallacher, the current NZ Thai Boxing Association Cruiserweight Champion, is looking to add a NZ World Kick Boxing cruiserweight title to his mantelpiece when he takes on Pati Afoa in a kick-boxing grudge match that will also air as a superfight on Sky TV at the upcoming heavyweight King of the Ring 8-man tournament in Auckland November 9.

On the same weekend, club mate Bruce Ihaia is booked for his second novice kickboxing fight while Mercer will enter the 8-man submission grappling tournament at the same show at Scorpion Gym in Palmerston North. "Over the last month three of our fighters, Bruce Ihaia, Hayden Molineux [two wins] and Lee Karamaina have had novice kickboxing fights at shows in Palmerston North, with all three doing very well. Lee inflicted a TKO in his debut," Mercer said.

"As you can see we are staying busy building our fighters' experience and skills up with an eye to have more of them competing at ever higher levels in MMA kick-boxing and submission grappling tournaments."