Two Galway kickboxers head to Birmingham this weekend for major title fights.
Whitney Sheppard (Knocknacarra ) and club mate Jia Xin Chai (Ballybane ), who fight out of the Galway Black Dragon Kickboxing Gym, are challenging for World and European titles respectively.
Sheppard is taking on the current ISKA -52kg World Full Contact Kickboxing champion Mary Corbyn from England for her title, and Jia Xin faces another English female fighter, Alexis Kyme, for the vacant Full Contact Kickboxing -55kg European crown.
Both fighters and coach Pete Foley fly out on tomorrow for the 24-hour advance weigh-ins, accompanied by some 25 supporters.
Whitney, who already holds the IKF World Amateur -50kg K-1 title, accepted the fight some two months ago and is now hoping to become a two weight, two different rule style World Champion.
The 36-years-old mum of three had to drop 13 kilos (almost 29 pounds ) to make the weight for the fight, while Jia Xin only secured the fight offer some five weeks ago as Alexis Kymes' original opponent pulled out and the call went out around Europe for a replacement.
Jia Xin, who originally hails from Malaysia, has been living and training in Galway for the last few years. Fresh from a spectacular Van Damme style spinning back kick to the head in her knockout win in Strabane, she jumped at the chance to fight for the European title.
The fights will take place in the 2000 seater Cannock Leisure Centre just outside Birmingham and viewers at home can watch on Pay Per View Leap Frog Fight TV.
