Galway Black Dragon Fighters Corey O'Malley from College Road and his girlfriend Giulia Comini from down the West in the City went over to a training camp in Phuket 3 weeks ago and ended up fighting under full Muay Thai rules.
Their training consisted of two x two-hour sessions every day (morning & afternoon) with runs before & after.
Within a week, Corey was offered to fight an American fighter whom he defeated over three hard rounds.
The pair were due to fly home a few days later, but due to the situation in the Middle East, their flight to Dubai was cancelled, and they were stranded.
They decided to extend their training camp to kill time as they were told it could be up to two weeks before they’d get another flight out, and in the meantime the Thai’s offered them two more fights.
Giulia was matched with a Thai National, whom she knocked out in the first round with a head kick, followed by a left hook.
Corey was offered a Rawaii Stadium title fight over a gruelling five x three-minute rounds against another American fighter from Pennsylvania, and it went the full distance with Corey dropping the American twice en route to victory.
Once again, they were due to fly out on the 14th March but when they got to the airport, their flights were cancelled.
They have been told to get a flight out on Monday.
The pair are due to fight under K-1 rules on 28th March in the Ardilaun Hotel in Galway with Giulia matched with a top class Irish Fighter, Kady Shaw from Carlow and Corey matched off with a Polish fighter who is flying in from Katowice in the main event under professional K-1 rules.
The fight night in the Ardilaun will celebrate 30 years since Black Dragon chief coach Pete Foley introduced the dynamic sport of Kickboxing to Galway.
Tickets are out now and can be got from the Black Dragon Gym on 087 8119227 or any of the fighters on the card.
Tickets are out now and can be got from the Black Dragon Gym on 087 8119227 or any of the fighters on the card.
