It’s almost a year since Suggy’s Gym’s Chace Griffin defeated the previously unbeaten Blayne Armitage from Powers Martial Arts in Sheffield to win the first Ramon Dekkers Challenge Belt on the last FMSFL show…
And now Grantham Meres Leisure Centre will see two more of these prestigious belts up for grabs as part of another action-packed fight night featuring both professional and amateur kickboxers on Saturday 11 March 2023.
Competing for the second Ramon Dekkers Challenge Belt will be Dean Pattinson from Hardwork MMA /4th Dimension in Grimsby and Nathan Riddle from Sheffield‘s Powers Martial Arts.
“This one is going to be an absolute cracker,” said Suggy’s Gym’s Dean Sugden. “Both Dean and Nathan have lost just once and that was against each other and, with both fighters ranked Number 1 and Number 2 in the UK, whoever wins this match up to take the Ramon Dekkers Challenge Belt will certainly move on to bigger things.
“On the card on 11 March, we also have our first International Ramon Dekkers Challenge Belt between Reece Rowell and Loic Njeya.
“A very experienced UK fighter who is destined to fight on the world stage, Reece trains under Steve Kerridge who was one of pioneers of UK kickboxing and whose Essex Kickboxing Academy is the Mecca of kickboxing in the south of England.
“He’s now found his best weight division but he will be up against a very strong fighter in Loic, who is originally from Cameroon, is now based in Switzerland and who trains out of the world-famous Mike’s Gym in Amsterdam, widely recognised as the world’s leading kickboxing gym.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that this will be another first class match-up that will have all the families, friends, fans and sponsors of this sell-out fight night on their feet from start to finish!”
The Ramon Dekkers Challenge Belt was an idea that Dean came up with after lengthy discussions with Cor Hemmers, to try to and decide who was the best in their country.
“A Dutch kickboxer and an 8-time Muay Thai world champion, Ramon Dekkers was a favourite with fight fans due to his fast-paced, aggressive fighting style who was also renowned for his willingness to go abroad to fight the Thai champions in their own country,” he said.
“ Sometimes in our sport Number 1 and Number 2 don’t fight each other but the spirit of Ramon Dekkers lives on as he fought everyone and went to Thailand to take on its very best in his quest to become a Champion.”
“Ramon said “As soon as I step into the ring, there is No Mercy,” said Cor Hemmers. “That’s his quote, he even had a tattoo on his belly with those words. That being said, he was never angry or aggressive to his opponents but if they stepped into the ring with him, he saw them as the obstacle that wanted to beat him, that was in his way for the future, and they needed to be eliminated.”
“So what better name could we come up with?” added Dean. “He really is GOAT in our sport and his fighting spirit was second to none alongside his explosive fighting style and his ability to find a way to win. “
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