World title for ‘Psycho’
Thursday, 21 August 2008
On top of the World! Limavady Titans Kickboxing team member Liam 'Physco' McLaughlin won the coveted World Champoinship last weekend, and in securing the bronze medal Aaron Mullan made it an extra special celebration for the highly successful club.
LIMAVADY Titans have a new World Champion in Liam McLaughlin, better known to those in the kickboxing world as 'Psycho'.
Along with Aaron Mullan, Liam travelled to Castlebar in County Mayo this past weekend to compete in the WOMAA's world championships where Titans and fighters from all over the world had gathered.
Liam was fighting in the points section of his weight group where he battled to the final to meet Dubliner Jay Daniels in the closest of contests. At the end of the time limit both fighters were tied meaning that an extra thirty seconds was allotted in order to separate them, however this was unsuccessful. As a result the encounter came down to first to score a clean point, the kickboxing equivalent to 'sudden death', in which Liam came out on top to be declared World Champion.
He then proceeded to the Grand Championship where all the Black Belt winners of each section squared off for the title of Grand Champion. After winning his first three fights, he met the current W.A.K.O. Irish champion in the final and after a cautious start, 'Psycho' uncoiled in the second half of the fight, to claim Grand Championship glory too.
Liam told The Northern Constitution: "I saw my opponent fight previously this year and he was very sharp, due to this I had to be cautious going into the final. He seemed to be doing the same and playing a waiting game, so I mirrored his tactics and was careful too, waited for him to make a mistake and took my chances to steal points at opportune moments before opening up in the last stages of the fight."
Aaron Mullan came home with a Bronze medal after defeat by a point in the Continuous fighting. Aaron said: " I was happy enough with the Bronze as I haven't had as much time to train this year due to work and family commitments."
He added: "But today is all about Liam, he outshone everyone here today, no one could touch him."
Head coach of the Titans, Willie Lowry said that nobody deserved the win more than 'Psycho': His dedication to training and to the club is second to none," said a proud Lowry.
“When I found out that he had won I was driving back from Larne after competing in a tournament myself, and people must have thought I was mad because I was jumping all around the car because I was so happy for him."
Liam now travels with other Northern Irish fighters to Florida at the end of the year to compete in the W.K.A. World Championships.
