Teenager Joe Ryan will represent Great Britain in the youth category of the upcoming IFMA European Muaythai Championships.
The competition will begin in Istanbul today (Saturday February 12) and run until February 21.
Ryan, 17, trains out of the Two Brothers Muay Thai gym in Birkenhead.
The gym is owned by his proud father and coach Karl Ryan.
He is a two-time IFMA world champion at youth level; another gold in this competition will grant him automatic qualification to the World Games in Birmingham, Alabama this summer.
Ryan is approaching the top end of the age threshold for youth fighters, but he already sits 19th in the WBC Muaythai Middleweight rankings for adults.
This ranking comes off the back of his victory against established elder Toni Romero in Liverpool back in December.
Ryan defeated Romero with a lethal elbow in the second round.
Ryan has consistently been one of the world’s most promising young fighters and seems to be going from strength to strength as he grows older.
Ryan has recently commented on his evolution as a fighter.
In an interview with Mavor Media, he said: “I think as the level of opponent goes up, now I’ve started to realise you’re probably not gonna finish everybody in the first.
“I’m not preparing to stop people anymore, now I’m preparing for five round wars.”
With a fight against One Championship’s Chris Shaw already on the table after he returns from Istanbul, expect to see Ryan at Muay Thai’s elite level before too long.
It could merely be a matter of time before he sets his sights on Liam Nolan’s Middleweight belt.
(Featured image used with permission from Joe Ryan, available at https://www.instagram.com/p/CXV-mSdD_ai/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link)
