Hayleigh Kiely becomes ISKA World Kickboxing champion

Hayleigh Kiely has been crowned ISKA World Kickboxing Champion following her five-round match with Marisha Christie

Hayleigh Kiely crowned ISKA World Champion representing Hub Martial Arts at the Cannock Chase Centre, UK

On Saturday, April 13th Hayleigh Kiely from Hub Martial Arts and trained by coach Paul O’ Brien, challenged Marisha Christie, the national and 5 nations title holder, in a 5-round match at the Cannock Chase Centre in the U.K. The event was hosted by sports promoter Jackhammer U.K and streamed worldwide on Leapfrog TV.

Hayleigh had been training in the dark for almost 3 months for this bout, but she had put a lifetime of work into waiting for this moment as she started training when she was 7 years old and is now 24.

Finally, she got the chance to achieve her long-term goal of securing and becoming the world number one kickboxer. When the bell rang on Saturday evening, Hayleigh did not hesitate to make a statement of her intent. She ran straight to the center of the ring and took control of the contest.

Round by round, Hayleigh was winning and accumulating points. Then, in the 3rd round, she gave her opponent a standing count and was on the verge of stopping her before the bell rang.

Credit goes to her tough and durable opponent who stayed in the contest after weathering the storm that Hayleigh brought. After 5 rounds, the judges ruled it a unanimous decision in Hayleigh’s favor, crowning her the new ISKA World Champion.

Coach Paul O’Brien said, “I was so thrilled to see Hayleigh achieve the recognition she truly deserved. The support she received from people watching at home, as well as the dedicated fans who traveled far to be there for her, her club members, friends, and even her school where she teaches, was absolutely incredible.

“It’s heartwarming to see such a strong community rallying behind her. I’m sure Hayleigh is incredibly grateful for all the support. And TeamHub’s week sounds like a dream come true!”

The Hub Martial Arts coach noted, “Winning gold at the Irish Open and having the Mayor visit your gym, all leading up to Hayleigh becoming the champion of the world – it’s like the perfect ending to an already amazing week for Hub Martial Arts.”

Congratulations to Hayleigh and all the students at TeamHub for their outstanding achievements!

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