Sunday 18th November, Away
Cambridge 6 - 2 Loughborough

After victories against both ARU and Oxford last year, it was surprising to hear of nervousness from the Cambridge University Kickboxing Society (CUKBS) fighters on the eve of their latest encounter. Loughborough’s sporting reputation alone had done enough to suggest that CUKBS would not have it all their own way.

Those fears were heightened when Cambridge favourite Cenan Djenan struggled to cope with the dynamism of his opponent. Coming out the worse for wear after some heated exchanges in the first round, Djenan was forced to retire, suffering from an ankle injury that has plagued his early season preparations.

The quality of opposition shone through when debut Charlie Samson was defeated by Zen Lee. The Loughborough man, nicknamed ‘Showtime’, lived up to his billing: Lee controlled the bout throughout, countering Samson’s efforts with poise and accuracy.

Despite the high-calibre opposition, CUKBS came back with wins for Tim Williamson and Daphne Tsalli. Though subjected to early pressure, Williamson eased his way into the bout and punished the openness of his opponent. The Loughborough fighter did well to stay up after a thunderous high kick to the side of the head sent his head guard flying into the arms of his coach in the corner.

Tsalli continued the Cambridge charge in a completely one-sided display. Her cross-disciplinary skills shone through as time and again she scored with punching combinations. With her opponent stricken, Tsalli dominated the fight until the last bell and came home with a deserved victory.

With the teams standing two a piece at the half way stage, CUKBS ran away with the win: Samuel Dahan, Ollie Osunkule, Alex Kaus, and Kontantin Semeniuk secured a clean-sweep in the heavier weight categories.

The fervour of the crowd was not matched by the taciturn officials who were forced to intervene twice in the fifth encounter. Following a warning in the second round, Samuel Dahan finally remembered the ten ounce gloves strapped to his hands and began to punch his way into the lead. Even a one-point deduction in the final stages failed to deny him his first win.

CUKBS vice-captain Ollie Osunkunle found joy in the first round, flooring his opponent within seconds of the starting bell. With no answer for Osunkule’s power and accuracy, the other fighter was caught repeatedly in the final round with stinging straight punches to the head.

Normally one to dominate with his polished kicking ability, Alex Kaus was forced into a dogged battle against a plucky opponent. Kaus finally kicked into gear in the final round, leaving Radcliffe sporting a bloody nose and winded after a thunderous strike to the midriff.

The evening’s final ended in slightly unsavoury fashion with a frightening knockout. As both men came in for an exchange, Morgan was caught by a straight punch which sent him crashing into the canvas. Amidst oxygen masks and fretful teammates, Morgan got back up to widespread applause.