Miroslav Herda, a 31 year old from Slovakia, headed to Belfast and to the renowned ProKick gym to follow his dream of being a kickboxing champ. The quietly spoken man mountain – who stands 6ft 6 and weighs in at over 18 stone – is still hoping to be an inspiration for the entire new generation of Northern Irish migrant workers even after loosing his first competitive bout in Dublin last weekend (Oct 4) at the famous Ringside club at the National Stadium.

“He’s a big strong fighter with a lot of heart and a determination to win,” said former world champion Billy Murray.

“Unfortunately he did not get off to a good start in the competitive ranks, but I am not disappointed in him! He was up against a more experienced fighter in the way of Barry Matthews (Dublin Gan Teora) and that showed.
The Dubliner, Barry Matthews did not allow him to use his long legs or his powerful boxing technical ability - Barry fought the right fight. It was a messy fight but hey the only thing hurt was Miro’s pride – I’ll try and get him another fight as soon as I can to keep him busy. “

“At ProKick, we built our reputation on being cross community and all inclusive. I’d be delighted if we could welcome more of Northern Ireland’s new population in too. It’s an exciting time."

Herda, a qualified social worker in Slovakia who worked principally with the homeless and young criminals, has been working in a warehouse in Belfast since his arrival two years ago. He has improved his English and hopes to move back into the job for which he’s qualified.

 Fight video of Miro's first fight will follow shortly


Tickets are now on sale for Ireland’s biggest Full-Contact event, see prokickshop