Title makes Okine's pain worthwhile

1.770093-635888764 — Marwan Al Marri (right) of KO Gym and Marwan Humaid of Team Ghasemi slug it out during the Dubai International Kickboxing Championship 2011 in Dubai. Image Credit: Arshad Ali/Gulf News

Dubai: Al Hassan Okine "The Ghanaian Van Damme" finally got his hands on a world title on his third attempt in a ten-card KO10 Full Force fight night at Chi, The Lodge, in Oud Metha last Friday.

The 36-year-old who left life as a security guard in Accra to follow his dreams as a fighter in Dubai in 2008 supplemented his income as a labourer here with a string of bouts, but had until now always failed at the last hurdle — losing twice previously at world title bids versus the Philippines' Steve Grandeza and Australia's Von Badato.

That was until his second round knock-out of Australia's Ben Burrage in the WKBF world super-welterweight K1 title with a solid left heel kick to the face which left Burrage unable to recover.

Instead of retiring to set up his own gym in Ghana under the franchise of trainer Zach Tamaufai's KO Gym, Okine pledged to win all that he lost — challenging Badato and Grandeza for fresh match-ups.

"To lose three times would have been very bad so I knew I had to win and by the grace of god I've done it and all my country will get to hear of this," said Okine, whose record is now seven wins and three losses from ten fights. "Ben is taller than me so the only thing I could get him on is left side kicks. I tried it once and it worked straight in the face very powerful with my heel. He didn't get up."

Burrage (32 fights, 20 wins) said: "I couldn't even tell you how it happened, I was trying to wear him out and I just didn't fight; it's obviously a psychological problem that I'll just have to deal with. I still hold the commonwealth title so I'll defend that get back to number and just try and keep it going. It's always the pinnacle of the sport getting a world title it's just disappointing to give it away like that."

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