16 year old Muay Thai Champion
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COULD this be the face of a future world Muay Thai kickboxing champion?
According to Jabout head trainer Jason Lapin, Werrington’s Michael Mittiga, 16, has the ability to go all the way to the top.
Kickboxing fans who have not heard about Michael until now will be able to see him in action when he competes for a junior WMTA state title in Jabout’s first show for 2007 at a Code Red fight night at Panthers this Friday.
You can also see seven other Jabout fighters, including newly-crowned world champion Greg Foley, Jason Scerri and Chris Johnson.
Michael is confident of beating opponent Tarne Ngaronoa in a knock-out, which would take his record to six wins out of 10 fights.
After four years in karate Michael took up kickboxing a year ago.
”Karate isn’t a contact sport and I had the hunger to fight. A cousin of mine was kickboxing and when I saw it, I never left,” he said.
In November Michael will head to Thailand, the home of kickboxing, for two weeks of intensive training.
Trainer Lapin believes that Michael will fulfil his goal to win as many world championships as he can.
”For a 16-year-old to give up his friends and family to pursue his sport in Thailand is a big effort,” said Lapin, who thinks Michael has a great future.
”If he can make it, he will earn big dollars in Japan. But he’s got a lot of work to do.”
Lapin trains 18 Jabout kickboxers, including two world champions, at Penrith’s Fit 4 All Gym.
The Code Red fight night will be filmed by Foxtel to be broadcast on Fox Sports 3.
”For those who have never seen Muay Thai boxing, it’s like what you’d see in Bangkok,” Lapin said.
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