The Real Knockout

- Muhammad Amirul

It is roughly two minutes into the third round of one of the most highly anticipated matches of the night. The tension builds even amidst the raucous cheering of the spectators. Both fighters seem to still be holding steady despite the punches already thrown so far. They each cautiously pace themselves within the perimeter of the ring, angling for an opportunity to put a swift end to the match.

Ben Kelleher, maintaining his measured confidence in the face of his opponent’s smug irreverence, assesses his next move before decisively going in for a hit. He is moments away from finding out that this would be his victory blow.

Clinching the UBO Cruiser weight Asia Pacific title against Indonesia’s Satria Antasena, Ben was all smiles as he relished in the match’s outcome, which saw him delivering a knockout within two minutes and twenty-four seconds of the match’s third round. It was an undeniable highlight during The Roar of Singapore event which took place on 17 February at the Foochow Association. The event was organised by Ringstar Management.

This accomplishment bodes well for Ben who has had over seven years’ worth of professional fighting experience in kickboxing and mixed martial arts but who is also relatively new to boxing. He remains undefeated so far with a record of three wins under his belt. iFitness on hand at the weigh-in a day prior to the main event to find out more about the aspirational New Zealand native.

How has Singapore been like for you?

Oh, it’s been nice. Yeah. I was privileged enough to go to Spartan’s Boxing Club and I’ve also visited Juggernaut Fighting Club. The rest of the time I’ve spent at East Coast Park which is a beautiful place.

How’s your training been like leading up to this?