Tuhu claims Muay Thai title

JONATHAN Tuhu, pictured, claimed the World Kickboxing Federation’s Muay Thai welterweight (66.8kg) title on Saturday night, with an unanimous points decision over Malaysian Chee Jian Kai.
The 27-year-old, who fights under the moniker “Black Gold”, was the aggressor throughout the 5 x 2 minute championship bout — the main one in promoter Stanley Nandex’s ‘PNG v Rest of the World’ show — at the Sir John Guise Indoor Complex, Waigani, Port Moresby.
Kai, who was taller by at least 10cm, could not keep the foward-marching Tuhu at bay and was on the end of the Southern Higlander’s thunderous kicks to the legs as well as several well timed back handers.
Lee Henry Garap’s scheduled bout with Australian Matt Smith was scrapped at the last minute with Nandex and WKF Oceania president Rustam Ali Attai saying the Cairns-based fighter was unable to arrive on time because of visa delays.
Also on the main card was Pakistani assylum seeker Ezatullah Kakar, who stopped Solomon Tiamani in the second round of their kickboxing clash to claim the national cruiserweight title.
The sleeker and fitter looking Kakar, who was knocked out in 10 rounds by John Korake in a boxing title fight last December at the same venue, erased any memory of that loss with a methodical break down of an out of shape Tiamani.
After several one-sided exchanges Kakar ended the fight with a left hook late in the second round.
Referee Jamuga Stone waved off the bout after Tiamani signalled that he had had enough.
The event which also saw an array of fighters from Southern Highlands, Simbu, West New Britain, Oro, Morobe and Milne Bay on the undercard that started well before noon and attracted an estimated 800 fans.