Blood Brothers - CFL#4

Imagine how nail biting it must be for parents to watch their son step through the ropes to compete in the sport of kickboxing. Mark and Hilary Braniff have become well used to that feeling having watched their son, James, (20) work his way to the top of the game and he now holds a British and European titles. Multiple that feeling by 4 and that’s what they will go through on Sunday 26th February as James and his three brothers will all step inside the squared circle in an unprecedented ProKick kickboxing event “Blood Brothers.”

The Braniff brothers have all had their own journey into the sport. James was the first to join ProKick at the age of 14, and he was followed a few years later by his younger brother Adam. It wasn’t long before Adam also showed a desire to compete and to date has had a number of fights, both at home and an unforgettable stoppage in Scotland. When lockdown lifted, James’ older brother Dan, decided to join in July 2021 and he soon got a taste for competing. He’s been busy over the last year, getting as much experience as possible, fighting in Belfast, Derry, Waterford and Scotland. His last few performances have shown that he is learning and honing his craft inside the ring and is deemed to be a real up and coming talent from the ProKick gym.

Now, you might think all this training together was a bit much for the brothers, but throw into the mix that they work together in the family business ‘The Captain’s Table’, you can begin to understand just how close their bond is.

But what about the fourth brother? Eldest brother, Nathan, had been living and working in London but an excellent work opportunity meant that he would return to Northern Ireland and before long he walked through the doors of ProKick in August 2022 and hasn’t looked back. An up and coming actor, Nathan secured a lead role in new BBC One drama ‘Blue Lights’ written by Declan Lawn and filmed here in Belfast. His move home for this meant he was able to see what the big deal was about kickboxing and join his brothers training. On February 26th, he will make his competitive debut on a show with all three of his younger brothers.

James will top the bill with his first European title defence since winning it in November 2022 in Belgium. Both Adam and Dan flew out to watch their brother become WKN European champion, with Nathan watching on in London as a work commitment meant he was there. It’s been a busy four months for James who has come back from a year lay off due to an injury not associated with the sport. He stepped back into the ring for the first time in October at Champions Fight League 2 beating a tough Dutch opponent, travelled to Belgium in November to take the title and fought last month in Champions Fight League 3 winning against Adam Abdurahman from Carlow. Champions Fight League 4 is all about him defending his title, but also the Braniff brothers stepping out together to take on the best from Europe & Ireland's kickboxing world.
One thing is for sure, the Braniff bros bang. Expect explosive action from start to finish and spare a thought for their parents!

Tickets and start-time click this link