It’s been a successful weekend for Bedford’s names in the world of combat sports, with McGowan Muay Thai boasting three winners at a Muay Thai World Super Series event in London, while there was also a triumph in the MMA arena in Manchester for Lindsey Payne.
Both Liam Cunningham and Kory Chettle, who fight out of McGowan Muay Thai, were part of an extended card at WSS London at Woolwich Works on Saturday (14 March), and both scored knockout wins against Scandinavian opponents, while 16-year old Karter Bond was also victorious.
Meanwhile, Lindsey “Bringer Of” Payne was successful at the CW201 Unplugged MMA main event at the BEC Arena in Manchester, beating Levi Steedman in a 118lbs catchweight bout, made all the more impressive given she took the fight with just a week’s notice.
All of them will now be looking ahead to their next fights, with some titles hopefully on the line.
Brutal wins in Woolwich
For McGowan Muay Thai, now based in Kempston, Saturday night could not have gone much better.
Muay Thai, otherwise known as Thai Boxing, is a form of martial art that originated in Thailand and incorporates knees, elbows, shins and hands, making it a full combat sport. It is also known as ‘The Art of Eight Limbs’.
Former WBC European champion, Liam Cunningham had had a long lay off but his first fight of 2026 saw him back in the winner’s enclosure after victory against Finnish opponent, Timo Venalainen, achieving a devastating knockout with a high kick.
Cunningham won’t have long to wait until entering the ring again, with his next bout scheduled for Saturday, 11 April, as he takes on Tommy Lowe at the Combat Fight Series at the Toughsheet Stadium in Bolton.
“I wanted to put on a show and show how good I can be”, said Liam speaking to Bedford Independent.
“I think the KO finish showed that, and I’m ready to go again in four weeks’ time”, he added.
Earlier in the card, Kory Chettle continued his fine form with another knockout victory, this time against Denmark’s Johannes Bakke Petersen.
Chettle ended 2025 in spectacular fashion, upsetting the partisan home crowd in Cambodia to defeat the nation’s number one fighter, and his stock rises further with victory in London.
Read: McGowan’s Kory Chettle defeats Cambodia’s leading Muay Thai fighter to cap superb year
Following his win in round four, Kory has now officially entered the world rankings, saying, “I want to fight anybody in the world rankings whether it’s in the UK or internationally”, as he too looks to continue his fine form throughout the calendar year.
There was also a triumph for 16-year old Karter Bond, who fought in an international match against a 21-year old from Denmark, putting on a masterclass to win unanimously on points.
“We’re really proud at the gym of the wins, but prouder to have so many young men and women being great role models”, said a McGowan Muay Thai spokesperson.
“That’s why the gym is having so much success. We haven’t lost a professional bout since September last year.”
Lindsey brings the ‘Payne’
Meanwhile, on Friday (13 March), another Bedford-based fighter was in action in the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
Lindsey “Bringer Of” Payne was a victor at the CW201 Unplugged event at the BEC Arena in Manchester, defeating Levi Steedman by TKO after two minutes and 57 seconds of round two.
With a mere seven days to prepare, the victory was a dominant one on a nine-fight card at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre at Trafford Park, and represents a weekend well done for Payne.
“The fight was everything I could have wanted”, said Lindsey speaking to Bedford Independent .
“I developed a game plan with my corner team, Mark Kelly and Aimilios Apostolou, and we executed that game plan perfectly. For a long time, I have been known as a grappler, but Friday night I showed I am just as dangerous on my feet as on the ground.
“To add to that, I got a dominant, brutal finish in the second round showing that I am exciting to watch and finish fights. I am the ‘Bringer Of’ Payne, and Friday night I lived up to my name on one of the biggest stages in the UK.”
Speaking about the limited preparation time, Lindsey says it has “little impact” as she is “always fight ready”.
“Having one week’s notice had very little impact for me as I am always fight ready, for this very reason. The only difference is that I hadn’t trained for this specific opponent, but on the other hand, she hadn’t had time to prepare for me either”, she adds.
Payne too is back in action very soon, as she steps back into the cage on Saturday, 9 May in a fight booked with Global Ticket Fight Promotions.
Women only MMA classes still going
Lindsey still fronts a Women’s only MMA class, taking place at Kelly’s MMA Gym in Bedford, and hopes women will take up combat classes in what is usually a male-dominated field.
Read: Bedford MMA champion to start women only mixed martial arts class
“We still run the class out of Kelly’s MMA, which I co-own and run with head coach, Mark Kelly.
“I began training MMA five years ago, not fully understanding what MMA was. What began as a hobby for getting stronger and fitter turned into a passion that transformed my life”, says Lindsey.
“I am highly passionate about sharing this life-changing sport with others, especially women who might feel uncomfortable stepping into a gym for the first time, so to to any women who have considered trying martial arts, I strongly encourage them to come train with us.
“We have an amazing group of women and are learning real skills together in a fun, safe environment.”
