Galway Black Dragon kickboxer Eric Daly has added the IKF All Ireland light welterweight belt to his collection.
The Gort man won the main event at Sunday’s Midsummer Madness Full Contact Kickboxing promotion in the Menlo Park Hotel with a unanimous points victory over Waterford’s Sean Barrett.
Both fighters weighed in at 64kg (one pound under the limit ) and although Barrett put up a brave show, he never once troubled Daly who was in control throughout.
Daly’s next outing is in Gort on September 18 and negotiations are under way to fly in British champion Howard Hogg from Cardiff for Daly’s second defence of his IKF Superlightweight Five Nations title after which he hopes to move back to light welterweight.
IKF European super middleweight champ Cathal Manning defeated Cork’s Toby Belmueller by unanamous decision after Belmueller was penalised for failing to make the mandatory kick count in round three.
IKF Junior All Ireland champ Charlie Ward took on Joshua Ferry from Dungannon in a scheduled three-rounder, but Ward’s electrifying display of kickboxing saw Ferry retire after the second round giving Ward victory by abandonment.
Ezra Nolan from Clarenbridge took on Waterford’s Sean O' Neill in an eliminator fight for the IKF Irish middleweight title, but O'Neill’s experience told and he took the win.
Other results: Martin Murry (Galway ) defeated Waterford’s Bobby Shanahan by decision (29-27, 29-27, 30-27 ); Chris Noone (Galway ) drew with Kilkenny’s Dermot O' Rourke (29-29, 28-30, 30-30 ); Gary Giles (Galway ) stopped Ian Condon from Waterford in the third round; Dan Cullen (Kilkenny ) stopped Barry Haddock (Galway ) at the end of the first round; Shane Creaven (Galway ) defeated Vitali Parahhin (Waterford ) by decision (30-29, 28-29, 29-28 ); Bryan Merrigan (Galway ) drew with Chris Coyle (Donegal ) (29-29, 28-29, 29-29 ); Eric Daly (Galway ) defeated Sean Barrett (Waterford ) by decision for the vacant IKF All Ireland light welterweight title (50-47, 49-47, 50-45 ).
