FIVE local fighters trained by former world professional kickboxing champion Ricky Nicholson competed at a show in Liverpool and earned rave reviews.

Dom White, Codey White, Danny Dixon, Ryan Gardner and Dan Cooper, who train at Nicholson Kickboxing and Fitness, competed at K1 Extreme Liverpool and Nicholson was "immensely proud" of their efforts.

First up was Gardner who dominated his debut fight until the referee called an illegal strike to the knee which ended in disqualification.

Nicholson was not convinced about the decision but praised Gardner for being professional in his actions and he is looking forward to his next fight.

Cooper, another debutant, showed grit, determination and control with both fighters scoring knockdowns.

Unfortunately, the referee called a stop to what was a close fight with Cooper taking a further count but he showed great skill and courage.

Dixon showed power and confidence as he totally controlled his fight and timed every strike.

He overpowered his opponent who was stopped in the first round following a great display of his stand up fighting.

Dom White was up against an experienced and determined fighter but showed great character after having two standing 8s against him in the first round.

White shook it off to dominate the next two rounds and secure a deserved win.

Last up was Codey White who came out very strong to dominate the first round with heavy combinations and was hurting his opponent with legs kicks.

His opponent showed great determination in the second to force his way back into the fight but White was too strong and deserved his win.

A delighted Nicholson said: "All of my guys gave a great account of themselves and I couldn’t be happier with their attitude during training and leading up to their fights.

"I have received lots of compliments about the guys from other camps during the night, which makes me very proud of what we are achieving at Team Nicholson.

"As their coach I am immensely proud of the dedication and commitment they are all putting in, as a team we are moving in the right direction, lots more to come from these lads and nicholsonkickboxingandfitness."