A Muay Thai fighter from the Isle of Man won his professional debut last week. 

Ramsey’s Joe Ashworth-Hayes, a coach at JonesMMA and Fitness martial arts school in Onchan, made his debut on Sumui Island in Thailand last Friday when taking on a local experienced Thai fighter.  

The contest got off to a rocky start for the 28-year-old, with the more experienced Thai fighter landing kicks and knee strikes to keep Ashworth-Hayes at bay.

But the bout was turned on its head in the fourth round when the Isle of Man fighter found a gap in his opponent's defence and landed a knockout punch to claim victory and make a winning start to his pro career. 

Ashworth-Hayes has been training for four years and has recently started coaching at Jones MMA. He now aims to stay active and gain more experience with high-level opponents.