OISÍN Brady describes his sparring ahead of Total Kombat 04 as both ‘brutal’ and ‘amazing’, and he wouldn’t change a thing.

The Bantry kickboxer is preparing for his showdown with England’s De-Reece Williams in Liverpool on Saturday by sparring with two world champions.

‘The people I have around me are unbelievable. I genuinely have the best team I could ask for,’ Brady says.

His younger brother Oran Brady is a double world kickboxing champion, while fellow Bantry man Tony Stephenson is a two-time world senior kickboxing champion who has also fought at Total Kombat.

With his dad, Bernard, as coach, Oisín (21) insists he could not ask for a better support team.

‘The sparring has been brutal, but honestly it’s amazing,’ he says.

‘The level they bring is unbelievable. I genuinely couldn’t ask for two better sparring partners, not just in Ireland but probably even across Europe.

‘Oran is the most successful junior fighter of all time and he’s making the transition to senior now. Tony has been around this game for years, winning world titles as well.

‘The level they bring means that when I step into that oval, there’s nothing I haven’t already seen before. The confidence that gives me is second to none.’

The ION Kickboxing Club fighter boasts a 100 percent record from his two Total Kombat fights, both finished with his signature move, the spinning back kick.

He wants to maintain his momentum when he fights experienced former world champion De-Reece Williams later this month at the Liverpool Olympia.

During their face-off, Williams told the West Cork man he’s not ready for the war that’s coming.

Brady, who hails from a kickboxing background, stood tall and didn’t flinch.

Oisín Brady won his first Total Kombat fight in style. (Photo: Fin Stephenson)

‘Look, this is my first time really dealing with someone who’s constantly in my ear. But I’m a martial artist – I’m not going to stand there talking back and all that. To me, that shows weakness,’ he says.

‘At the end of the day, it’s not about who talks the best game, it’s about who can perform when it matters.

‘I’ve had close to 100 or maybe even 200 fights over the years, so it really doesn’t matter to me what anyone says beforehand. I go out and do the exact same thing that has worked for me for years now. For me, it’s me versus me.

‘This lad is just an obstacle in the way of where I want to get to. That’s all I see him as – something in front of me that I need to remove.

‘I don’t really care about the trash talk. I’m sure after the fight he’ll be a nice fella, like most lads are.

‘For me, it’s just another fight. Train hard, get ready and I can’t wait for it.’

A former WAKO junior world kickboxing champion in 2022, Brady warmed up for his third Total Kombat fight by winning his first senior full contact national title (-71kg), beating both Niall McDermott (Mugendo Sligo) and Malonda Eldad (Global Kickboxing).

‘This one was a big one for me, my first senior full-contact national title,’ he says.

‘I’ve won senior light-contact medals already, but full-contact is really where I put everything into when it comes to WAKO.

‘It gives me massive confidence as well heading into this next Total Kombat fight.’

His kickboxing background transfers well into the Total Kombat area where there is no safety gear and they fight with six-ounce gloves.

‘In full-contact, you’re a lot closer and more in boxing range, so it’s very boxing-heavy. In Total Kombat, it’s more about fast, powerful strikes because there’s not much of a guard with the smaller gloves,’ Brady explains.

‘It’s not that one is harder than the other, they’re just different styles. Total Kombat is a lot more speed and power-based.

‘It’s not a massive transition because at the end of the day you’re still kickboxing and still fighting. But you also have ground and pound in Total Kombat, and you’re fighting in an oval instead of a ring, which makes it really interesting.

‘It actually lets you get a lot more creative with your strikes because of the shape of the area. And with the smaller gloves, it’s easier to land shots too.

‘So training-wise it’s not hugely different, but when you get into the fight itself there’s definitely a big difference in terms of distance and the overall feel of it.’

Brady loves fighting at Total Kombat. To him, it’s mixing the speed and movement of light-contact with the strength and physicality of full-contact kickboxing.

‘I grew up as a light-contact and semi-contact fighter on the mats, that’s what I did my whole life, and then I made the switch to full-contact. But I still love both styles. Total Kombat feels like the perfect middle ground between the two,’ he says.

‘And being in the oval now, coming into my third fight, I feel like I’m really starting to understand it.

‘I feel very comfortable in there now.’