Grace Goody - Northern Ireland vs. Emma Xuereb - Malta - in Belfast

The Smiling Assassin Returns to Belfast for European Glory

Grace has proudly represented ProKick and Northern Ireland all over the world. Her fighting journey has taken her across Europe and as far as Japan — the spiritual home of K-1 kickboxing. In a truly incredible achievement, Grace captured the Eastern Japan Championship before returning six months later to win the All Japan K-1 Championship, proving she could compete and conquer at the very highest level internationally.

The success didn’t stop there.

Last year in Berlin, Grace added yet another major accolade to her growing collection by winning the Open WKN European Championships, once again showcasing the skill, determination, and fighting spirit that has made her one of ProKick’s standout competitors.

But on June 27th, she faces one of her toughest tests yet.

Standing across the ring will be Emma Xuereb from Malta’s highly respected Team Noel — a team ProKick knows very well. The relationship between both clubs stretches back years, with fighters travelling back and forth between Northern Ireland and Malta in a series of memorable contests.

Emma is mentored by renowned coach Noel Mercieca and has been under his guidance for close to a decade. Outside the ring, Emma is highly accomplished academically, having graduated in Mathematics and Physics, and she now works as a mathematics teacher.

Inside the ropes, however, she is rapidly building a reputation as one of Malta’s rising stars.

A former ISKA AMA European Champion in 2024, Emma originally joined Team Noel in 2019 for enjoyment before fully dedicating herself to the sport in 2022. She had her first competitive fight at the age of 21 and has quickly developed into a serious international competitor.

Kickboxing has already taken Emma across Europe for both competitions and training camps, with experiences in Italy, Sicily, Germany, Thailand, and Bulgaria helping shape her style and mentality as a fighter.

She also spent nine months living in Galway, Ireland while completing her third year of university — an experience she describes as unforgettable, allowing her to build friendships and connections both inside and outside the sport.

Now Emma makes another important journey — her very first trip to Belfast — fully focused on one thing: becoming European champion.

Single-minded and driven, Emma openly admits her concentration right now is firmly on her kickboxing career.

Billy Murray knows exactly what to expect.
“Team Noel are a very strong and experienced outfit. We’ve had a long relationship over the years and they always bring quality fighters. We are expecting a very tough fight from the Maltese.”

With European glory on the line, both fighters will leave nothing behind.

This is a genuine main-event-worthy clash — a high-level international championship contest guaranteed to light up Bash ’n’ Mash in true ProKick style.

🥊 Grace Goody (Northern Ireland) vs. Emma Xuereb (Malta)

🏆 WKN K-1 European Bantamweight Title

⚖️ 56.6kg | 5 x 2 Minute Rounds

📍 Stormont Hotel, Belfast

📅 Saturday 27th June 2026

Join us for an unforgettable evening of championship kickboxing featuring a full supporting fight programme, live entertainment, and a superb three-course meal — all wrapped up in the unique atmosphere only ProKick can deliver. TICKETS CLICK HERE

The ProKick Way — Commitment. Preparation. Respect.

For many years, Billy Murray and ProKick has proudly worked alongside the World Kickboxing Network, one of the world’s leading sanctioning bodies in combat sports. Under the leadership of Stephane Cabrera, the WKN has provided ProKick fighters with opportunities to compete on major international stages across Europe and beyond. This long-standing partnership has helped develop champions, create international pathways for fighters, and further strengthen ProKick’s reputation on the global kickboxing scene.