Brandon targets British belt
Hamilton kickboxing youngster Brandon Murray will be pitched in to a British title fight on Saturday, but not before time, says his mum Vicky.
Vicky is delighted that Brandon (11) has been selected to try for a new belt at Rivals Gym in Bellshill, because if he hadn’t been, she would have asked them to put him up for it.
She said:“to be fair, he’s more than ready for it, he’s keen and he’s hungry for it, and his achievements so far have been unbelievable.
“If the gym hadn’t contacted me I would have told them he’s ready and asked for a title fight, but I’m thrilled that they came to me, and it’s a real boost for him.”
Brandon only returned to the sport a few months ago after recovering from a serious injury, but has put forward a set of impressive performances and results since then.
This includes winning gold at the Aberdeen Open World Karate and Kickboxing Championships at the end of April.
Vicky was surprised when he told her he wanted to defend his Scottish under-35kg full-contact title rather than move on to further glory, but he did so successfully on May 14.
She said:“brandon said he wanted to defend his Scottish title to show that he’s serious about it.
“Most of the time people win those belts and move on to something else, but he will fight anybody.”
Vicky and husband Brian are dedicated to not only coaching Brandon but also taking him to tournaments, as long as he remains keen.
She said:“we’re 100 per cent behind him, as long as he wants to do it, and he’s doing really well.”