Bury's Don Heatrick, right, lands a right hook on Mike Clarke

SUFFOLK Thai boxer Don Heatrick returned to the professional ring after a two-year lay-off to engage in a classic battle with undefeated Mike Clarke at the Barnsley Metrodome.

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And on the same card, two young fighters from Heatrick’s Unit 1 gym in Bury St Edmunds successfully defended their Celtic Challenge belts.

Heatrick, 39, faced 18-0 fighter Clarke, from Tobins Gym in Leeds, at super-middleweight, and found himself on the receiving end of some vicious body blows in the first round.

But he fought back well, and seemed to be on the verge of taking the fight in the third round behind his accurate shots to the head of the rapidly-tiring Clarke, 23.

With the fight on a knife edge going into the fifth and final stanza, Clarke just edged it with some accurate work from range as he fought on the retreat.

The Leeds man duly claimed the decision but both fighters’ profiles will be boosted by the enthralling battle – already dubbed by many as the “best domestic fight in years.”

Heatrick plans to return to the ring in March.

Meanwhile, Unit 1’s junior stars Hannah Turner, 12, and Joe Le Maire, 14, both successfully defended their Celtic Challenge titles, which they won back in November.

Turner, fighting for the ninth time, clearly out-worked and out-powered her foe, Devon-based Annya Barrett, in every round, but was made to work hard for her unanimous points victory.

Le Maire took a hard-fought split decision against the very awkward Jack Byrne of Kirkby Muay Thai.

Finding it hard to land on his evasive opponent, the Bury teenager eventually found his range and scored with some aggressive combinations, convincing two of the three judges that he should remain champion.

Four other Unit 1 fighters, Charlotte Wall, 23, and juniors Taylan Parker, 7, Adam Heatrick, 8, and 10-year-old Travis Beaton also competed at the event and performed well despite dropping decisions.

Coach Rich Gent, who owns Unit 1 with Heatrick, said: “All the fighters gave it their all and won some new fans at the Metrodome with their big efforts and brilliant sportsmanship.

“They are all a credit to our gym and the sport”.

- Anyone interested in learning Thai boxing in Bury St Edmunds and beyond can visit the gym website at www.unit1gym.com or call 01284 760468 for more information.