Whakatāne Muaythai champion Liam Witbrock has been ruled out of Saturday night’s Mortal Combat Fight Night after suffering an injury, putting a temporary halt to an impressive run in the local fight scene.

Witbrock was looking forward to competing at the annual Whakatāne Fight Club event on Saturday, November 7, at the War Memorial Hall, where he was expected to defend his New Zealand Muaythai title.

The setback comes just weeks after Witbrock claimed the New Zealand Muaythai Light Middleweight title at the Tojo Dixon Memorial Tournament, held at Te Teko Racecourse.

Originally scheduled to defend his New Zealand Muaythai Welterweight title at the inaugural Otakiri Fight Department tournament, Witbrock agreed to move up a weight division after his opponent, Leland Pakinga, struggled to make the 67kg weight limit.

The pair instead met at Light Middleweight, under 71kg, with Witbrock taking on the former professional boxer and current Muaythai coach at a Rotorua-based gym.

Muaythai is renowned for its demanding full-contact rules, allowing punches, kicks, knees and elbows, and the bout lived up to expectations, with both fighters pushing hard for dominance from the opening bell.

Witbrock had the advantage in the early rounds, maintaining his range, landing multiple leg kicks and connecting with a well-timed elbow to the middle of Pakinga’s forehead in the second round.

“Although it was a decent cut, it actually woke the bear and he [Pakinga] fought with a lot more aggression and urgency,” said Witbrock's coach, Carl Cowley.

Pakinga responded strongly in the third round, landing an elbow that left Witbrock with a small cut on the top of his head.

However, Cowley said Witbrock regained control in the closing rounds, applying pressure and avoiding unnecessary damage on his way to a unanimous points decision.

“Liam showed his true class by upping the tempo and maintaining good pressure without taking any unnecessary damage in the fourth and fifth rounds.”

The latest victory adds to Witbrock's growing record of success in the ring.

Last November, he successfully defended his New Zealand title in Whakatāne, winning a hard-fought split-points decision in the main event. He also claimed a boxing title in Ōpōtiki in July, again winning by split-points decision.

Cowley, who organises Mortal Combat Fight Night, said holding New Zealand titles across two weight divisions opened up opportunities for a wider range of challengers.

“Many fighters win titles, but most don’t defend them, so now that Liam holds New Zealand titles in two weight divisions, it gives us access to a wider pool of deserving challengers,” he said.

Witbrock’s injury means he will miss the November event and the chance to fight in front of his home fans, however, the annual tournament will still feature plenty of local talent.

Whakatāne Fight Club fighter Kelly Downes is among those building momentum after delivering a composed performance to defeat the more experienced Shamus Austin by unanimous decision in a kickboxing bout on October 3.

Austin represents Auckland-based Elite Thai Kickboxing, and ringside officials praised Downes for his composure and shot selection.

Cowley said performances such as Downes’ were the result of the commitment fighters put into their sport.

He said the time, effort, discipline and dedication required to compete at that level were reflected in the results achieved by the club’s fighters.

While Witbrock’s absence will be a blow to the Whakatāne card, his recent title-winning form has established him as one of the region’s leading combat sports athletes, with his next challenge now dependent on his recovery.