Local combat athlete Marlon Gillett is taking the professional K-1 Kickboxing rankings by storm with two strong wins in a row.

After winning several titles on the amateur K-1 circuit Marlon stepped up to the professional ranks and put on one hell of a show. His most recent bout was on what is considered to be the most prestigious K-1 show in England, the Muay Thai Prand Prix, held at the Indigo event centre inside the O2 arena London.

Marlon was facing a formidable opponent in Jamie Petch who holds titles in both Kyokushin Karate and K-1. The Fight was shaping up to be the most exciting fight of the night with both men landing significant blows. But Hastings’ very own Marlon showed true grit and determination when he turned the intensity up a notch and proved he was too hot for his opponent to handle.

During the second round Marlon landed a right hand so devastating it left his opponent face down on the canvas for more than two minutes.

This win by KO is the second professional fight for Marlon who said afterwards: ‘’It felt amazing to get the result I did against a good game fighter with a solid record, but what felt better is that everything went to plan. My corner team said it would play out just the way it did and the video of the KO has now gone viral with almost 100,000 views.

“I’d really like to thank my team of coaches Luke and Jamie Whelan (Skywalker Kickboxing – London Gym) and Ed Lofts and Sam Ciftci (The Fighters Loft – Hastings Gym) they always put in the time and effort to prepare me for my fights.

Marlon went on to say

‘’My next goal is to keep the ball rolling and work my way towards a professional title, hopefully getting a shot at some point next year. Eventually I want to become the world champion but I’m realistic and know how much work this requires. It’s not an overnight process but I’m 100% committed to my training and I believe that’s what I’m destined for.’’

To try out a free class in kickboxing contact The Fighters Loft and Double K Gym Hastings – you can find them on facebook