Hat’s Hildebrand loses slugfest
Hat’s Hildebrand loses to Moffat, but puts on a show at Fists of Fury
It may not have finished with his hand in the air, but Medicine Hat’s lone hometown boy sure put on a show at Fists of Fury 13.
Ian Hildebrand went toe-to-toe with Edmonton’s Jonah Moffatt in a threeround slugfest that was destined to end with the bell. While Moffatt earned the unanimous decision, Hildebrand says he’s still happy with how things unfolded on Saturday night at the Cypress Centre.
“We’ve been training with a direct approach, straight in to attack, and that worked for me too. I think we both gave it our best and we’re both satisfied with the outcome,” said Hildebrand of the 170-pound bout. “He hits good. He was throwing some haymakers there but he was catching them. He knew what he was aiming for, which is great.”
Hildebrand was able to stand and exchange shot-for-shot with Moffatt in the early going, but the Edmontonbased kickboxer took control of the fight in a decisive third round.
“Because he’s a bit older and I’m a bit younger the plan was to push the pace. My youth and stamina kind of carried me most of the way. The third round was where I figured I would really shine, and I did,” said Moffatt, adding he was trying for the knockout punch all fight. “I tried to wobble him but he wouldn’t go down.”
Moffatt added he was able to phase out the roaring crowd and narrow his focus to his coach’s instructions from the blue corner — something he says was pivotal in earning the decision over Hildebrand.
“You’ve got to listen to them. You can hear them from the corners yelling stuff at you, just do it,” said Moffatt, who improved to 1-0 with the win. “They think for you.”
It was Hildebrand’s second time at Fists of Fury, though his first came a decade ago in a last-second decision to join the card, and he says he was left feeling much more satisfied after entering the ring with the proper preparation.
“Nothing feels better than getting in the ring ready and in shape, then getting out there and testing yourself,” he said. “I like a nice fair fight and that’s what I got tonight so I’m more than happy.”
While he was fighting for the victory, Hildebrand says the score cards aren’t where he finds his joy in the sport of kickboxing. The rewards he reaps are non-material.
“The reward is in the preparation, in the physical health and the happiness that comes with being fit. The ring is just a test to see how far you can take your training,” said Hildebrand, adding he hopes to return to the ring in the future. “If I can stay in shape I’ll just keep fighting.”
The evening opened on a loud note, with Edmonton’s Gerry Webber sending Lethbridge’s Ashmat Bashir to the canvas after a devastating body kick to seal a technical knockout win. Ryan Demyen followed up the opener with a unanimous decision victory over Trung Truong.
In the main event, Edmonton’s Eddy Chang took a unanimous decision win over Regina’s Adam Brown to improve to 12-1.