Andrew aiming to be the main man

JUST FOR KICKS . . . Andrew Lofthouse is hoping to wow a large audience.

A FITTON Hill man is set for a pivotal career fight in the largest Muay Thai and kickboxing event the UK has ever seen.

On May 23 Andrew Lofthouse will defend his Thai Fighter UK number five ranking when he takes on the man rated just one place beneath him.

The “main event” is being held at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham, where Lofthouse will be competing in front of 4,500 spectators.

Lofthouse’s lightweight opponent is Birmingham-based fighter Matt McKeown, who boasts an impressive record of 13 wins from 16 fights. But former Pride in Oldham winner Lofthouse is not one to be cowed by statistics.

“I’m really excited. I’ll thrive off the crowd – I like to think of myself as an entertainer first, and a boxer second,” joked the 23 year old.

“My style is very different to McKeown’s. He is a very traditional Thai fighter whereas I tend to use a lot of unconventional flying elbows. It’s a great match-up.”

Phil Shedden and coach Darren Morris form Lofthouse’s team and the latter, a promoter of “The Main Event,” explained Lofthouse’s choice of opposition.

He said: “McKeown is a pivotal fight for Andrew. Win this and he can think about making inroads on the fighters above him. The immediate aim is to prove beyond doubt that Andrew belongs in the top five because he rose up there very quickly."

The top three-ranked fighters have a wealth of experience, contesting at least 50 fights each, but may soon be on Lofthouse’s radar. For now though, Shedden is not underestimating the challenge McKeown poses

“He is a clever, technical operator, strong in the clinch and comfortable using kicks and elbows on the outside.”

Before “The Main Event,” Lofthouse warms up with an April 5 fight against Portugal’s Ruben Almeida before going straight into his training camp preparations for Birmingham.

Tickets and more information are available at http://www.themainevent.media/future02.html