Leigh Mueller is getting back in the ring Friday night, this time for a world title belt.
The 31-year-old kickboxer and karate instructor at Canada’s Best Karate has been prize fighting for most of his adulthood, and this is his first time contesting for the World International Sport Kickboxing Association super welterweight title.
Mueller faces Kalon Milne in the headliner of Friday night’s (May 31) Hurricane Fight League kickboxing event in the curling rink at Archie Browning Sports Centre in Esquimalt.
The Hurricane Fight League is a local promotion with a handful of events to its name and with an emphasis on kickboxing.
“I’m expecting the fight of my life and expect it to be tough, but I’m ready and I’m excited,” Mueller said.
Mueller has previously held the B.C. International Kickboxing Federation title and is a regular on the Victoria fight scene.
His top kickboxing student, Suraj Bangarh, will also fight for a World ISKA belt, against Kayne Young from New Zealand in the super lightweight category.
“(Bangarh’s) title fight is in the middle of the event, the seventh of 14 fights, so Bangarh and Mueller can be each other’s cornermen,” said event co-organizer Kieran Mueller, Leigh’s younger brother.
“It works out well with a title fight at the midpoint of the evening,” Kieran added.
Karate is a family affair for the Mueller brothers, whose dad Bob earned his black belt with former world champ and local promoter and instructor Stan Peterec, a family friend.
Kieran expects between 500 to 700 people to show up.
“Whenever we put on a show it’s a clean event, a fun family event. We have a lot of talented fighters and it should be a great night.”
Two more local titles will be on the line. Tyler Nicholson versus James Sebunyana for the Hurricane Fight League super lightweight belt and Bryan Colwell versus Tony Patterson for the HFL cruiserweight title.
Doors at 6, fights at 6:15 p.m.
sports@vicnews.com
