A TEN-year-old boy from Bradford has recently returned from Africa with a world title belt in the martial art of Muay Thai.

Mason McNulty, from Buttershaw, was nine when he travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo with his father Michael McNulty and coach Alex Ntabola for the bout.

In the Congo, he undertook intense training sessions to prepare him for the full contact fight, before going head-to-head with a local fighter, also aged nine, for the world title belt in the 30kg weight class.

Mason, a pupil at Farfield Primary School, won the fight by technical knock-out (TKO) after inflicting a fight-ending knee injury on his opponent.

Muay Thai, which originated in Thailand is a combat sport known as “the art of eight limbs” as it combines the use of fists, elbows, knees, and shins for striking.

While in the country, accompanied by his father and coach, who originates from the DRC, also carried out charity work, handing out food and clothes to people and helping to build a hospital for poverty-stricken people to be able to access healthcare.

In the UK, children aged under 11 have to wear head guards, body protection, shin guards, a gumshield and a groin guard , and contact to the head is forbidden, for safety reasons under UK Muay Thai Federation rules.

In the DRC, young fighters can compete in full contact bouts, with no protection besides a gumshield, but Mason’s father said he had no concerns for his son’s safety during the fight.

Mr McNulty, 39, said: “I had no concerns about Mason.

“Here the rules hold him back and he just wanted to fight, and his coach is from the DRC so we knew he would be safe.

“It was very tough but the experience has developed him, and he will go back to defend his title.

“Mason loved it, it was hard but it was a great experience for him and I am very proud of him.

“He won by TKO, he snapped the other kid’s knee.

“A referee was flown in from Rwanda for the fight, he was presented with the belt by the DRC’s sports minister, and there were television cameras and a full undercard, we called it the Rumble in the Jungle Round Two.”

Mason’s coach, Mr Ntabola, added: “He was very brave. In the UK there are too many rules for safety reasons.

“I was fully confident Mason would be safe in a full contact fight.”

The McNultys and Mr Ntabola also carried out charity work under the banner of the Save the Mothers Trust, and are currently in the process of setting up their own charity, The Congo Appeal.