KIDDERMINSTER kickboxing legend Drew Neal ended a glorious fighting career in style when he was crowned Kumite Champion in front of a home crowd.

Neal emerged triumphant from 32 of the best fighters in the country when he defeated Marcus Lewis in the final at The Glades Arena.

The 32-year-old won an epic battle against an opponents 14 years his junior, as both fighters gave the contest everything and treated to a fantastic display of skill and determination to succeed.

Watching on from the sidelines were a large contingent of Neal’s friends and family as well as students from his Lighthouse Kickboxing School.

He said: "This was probably one of the highlights of my fighting career.

“The pressure of fighting in my hometown with so much expectation was hard to deal with.

“However, I knew that i had great support and had to do the job.

“For me it’s a fairytale finish to over two decades of competing at the highest level.

“I now look forward to focusing my energy on training the future champions.”

Neal has enjoyed a highly successful fighting career. Over the years, he has won six world titles governing bodies as well as two European titles and 13 British Championships He will now concentrate his efforts on teaching students at the martial arts school.

Anyone interested in training at The Lighthouse Kickboxing School can contact Drew for a free taster session on 01562 748008 or www.drewneal.co.uk