LEIGH'S Danny Rushton is the "ultimate fighting" machine . . . and is set to take part in one of the most notorious fights ever to take place in this country.

But the 27-year-old martial arts instructor is adamant the fight has been wrongly billed in the national press as the American "no-rules Ultimate Fighting".

Instead, it is the Japanese "Rings Rule" - a sport, which, Danny says is less dangerous than boxing.

The fight is to be staged in Milton Keynes on March 7, and competitors can use their boxing, kick boxing, karate and wrestling skills.

As he prepared for the big day, Danny smiled: "I feel confident that I will not come away dead."

His comment was made in ironic response to the massive press interest in the fight.

Reports have billed the event as "a vicious sport dubbed human cock fighting" which they claim "has all the niceties of a bloody closing-time brawl in a rough pub".

But instead, Danny angrily retorted: "They are talking about a different sport. The bout in Milton Keynes is Rings Rule - a respected sport in Japan for many years.

"In Ultimate Fighting the only rules are that you cannot gouge your opponent, bite or fish hook him. But in Rings Rules there are a great many rules.

"Because Rings Rule is not as brutal or as bloody as Ultimate Fighting it does not receive the same sort of publicity.

"It has been going for quite some time, and it would appear that the papers have got confused somewhere along the line. The reports have been quite ridiculous."

Danny has taken part in amateur Rings Rule fights, but this will be his first professional bout. He said: "I see it as a progression of martial arts. It is a further test of my kick boxing skills.

"It is certainly not about going there to beat someone up."

Competitors must be a black belt in the respective sports before they can take part.

Danny has been training in kick boxing for 14 years. He runs the Leigh Martial Arts Academy at Goodbody's Health and Fitness Emporium in King Street, Leigh, with Danny Wallace, teaching a variety of techniques.

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