KOTA KINBALU: Liyen ‘The Blackhawk’ made a good call to come out from fight retirement as she snatched the title belt in the K1 semi-professional battle of the Iska Sea K1 Kickboxing Karamunsing Championship Super Fight.
The 27-year-old fighter from Tim’s Muaythai Gym won by decision against Cyvilnie Angian from Rhino Muaythai Gym in an exciting bout to end the first day of the event.
“I only have three weeks to prepare for this match as I was called last minute to replace another fighter who could not make it,” she said after receiving her prize, at the Karamunsing Exhibition Hall, here, Saturday.
“I have retired from competitive fights...my last fight was in December last year.
“But I am doing this for the team, rather than for myself.
“And that is why I gave my best tonight (Saturday) as this will surely be my last fight before I hung my gloves.”
The encounter started aggressively with both fighters eager to catch points in the early part of the fight.
At the end of the three rounds of three-minute fight, it all went down to the judges’ decision to crown Liyen as the winner.
The battle was the highlight of some 60 bouts of K1 Kickboxing, comprising exponents from Sabah, Labuan, Sarawak, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore.
Organising chairman Johan Julian Lee Abdullah hoped fighting events could become a staple in shopping malls in the State as it benefits both, the sport and the venue.
He also said such events could also be turned into tourism products in the form of combat sports and entertainment.
Today (Sunday), the public would be able to witness several exhibitive boxing matches.
Sabah-born professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Hisyam Samsudin will also be joining the matches.
The tournament on Saturday was part of the Karamunsing Championship which combined combat sport hosted by Fight Fest and the State selection of national e-sport tournament organised by Sabah E-Sport Association.
The Iska Sea K1 Kickboxing Karamunsing Championship Super Fight was sanctioned by the International Sport Kickboxing Association Iska) Southeast Asia.
