The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

DC Pratt achieved the biggest highlight of his budding amateur Muay Thai career thus far when he won the IKF East Coast Championship on Sunday, October 20.

He bested the field in the light middleweight division at the three- day event, hosted at the South of the Border Convention Centre in Dillon, South Carolina.

Pratt, who entered the tournament at 3-1-1, won by decision over the top seeded Gage Duhon, of Scott, Louisiana, who came in with a 6-1-1 record.

“It is great to get the win as a Bahamian fighter fighting abroad,” he said, “My only regret is I wish I took my flag.”

Pratt rebounded from a tournament loss in July when he fell in the opening round of the 2013 IKF World Classic Amateur/Muy Thai-Kickboxing Championships in Orlando, Florida.

“Heading into the tournament, it was pretty stressful to be honest, especially coming off a controversial loss that was kind of playing on my confidence,” he said.

“Not knowing anything about your opponent, preparing to jump in and fight in front of a major crowd, but it was mostly coming off a loss that messed with my head.”

Pratt won by decision over second seeded Collin Oates in the semifinals to advance.

After gaining confidence with the win, and watching Duhon take down Bryan Keith in the other semifinal, Pratt said he was well prepared heading into the title fight.

“It boosted my confidence and got rid of most of the nervousness,” he said. “I just had to continue reassuring myself that I was better than the guy in front of me and that I had been through it before. I thought of my training partners and just told myself it’s the same as we do in training. I saw my final opponent’s fight so I had an idea of what to expect. I saw that the guy [Duhon] was aggressive, super aggressive, so I knew I would not look good against him. I prepared for a war and prepared myself to be sharp, so I came out on top. I did not want to assume like I did in Orlando, so it still was a nervous moment to win by decision.”

Promoted by AK Promotions, it was the first in what is expected to be an annual hosting of the IKF East Coast Muay Thai Kickboxing Classic.

An estimated 150 to 200 boxers competed in the event billed as an “excellent event for amateur men, women and junior fighters to showcase their talents in a first class Golden Gloves type event,” by AK Promotions President, Johnny Davis.

“The East Coast Kickboxing community has always been loaded with great fighters in areas like New York, Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and even Alabama and Mississippi,” Davis said. “Moreover, this event is a great precursor to bigger events we plan to do at South of the Border and surrounding cities in 2014.”