Deondre Morris punched, elbowed and kicked his way into local sports history in Toronto at the weekend.

Morris became the island’s first Class A Muay Thai world champion after his unanimous points decision victory over Canadian Gavin Young at Destiny Fight Production’s cruiserweight world title fight at the Woodbine Racetrack & Casino on Saturday.

“Right now I’m the cruiserweight Class A champion of the world and it just means so much to me to finally get a world title,” Morris said. “I’m the first Bermudian to win a Class A title.”

The Bermuda Karate Institute head coach had his work cut out against the formidable Young going into the full rules Muay Thai bout.

After sizing up his opponent, Morris took early control of the three-round bout, a vicious left hook dropping Young to the canvas. After getting back to his feet the Canadian was issued a standing eight count by the referee.

“I knocked him down with a left hook and thought he might stay down, but he didn’t,” Morris said. “He was a tough guy and got back up and finished out the round. This guy just won the Muay Thai Ontario Championship last month and was a national powerlifter before that, so he was a legitimate guy.”

Young came back strongly in the second round. However, despite coming in for some heavy punishment Morris landed enough blows to remain ahead on points.

“That second round he started coming on stronger and he’s a really heavy hitter,” Morris said. “He’s a super-heavy hitter and I knew I couldn’t take too many of his hits.”

Morris found another gear in the third and final round, finishing off his opponent with a flurry of blows, to leave no doubt who would triumph with the world title at stake.

“He started slowing down in the third round and what changed the fight a bit was he went to kick me and I checked his kick by lifting my leg and using my knee to block and it looked as though he fractured his shin,” Morris said.

“He was still walking and fighting with a fractured shin but after that I just took over and started landing, landing, landing. He finished the fight but everybody knew who won.

“I recognised I was on foreign soil and so you can’t take anything for granted.

“I just waited to hear my name and I got a unanimous decision from the judges. It was the best feeling in the world and I couldn’t hold back the tears.

“When you are away in a place like Canada and you hear people chanting your name it felt like I was home. Walking from the ring the crowd gave me a standing ovation.

“After the fight people I don’t know came up and congratulated me, saying it was one of the best fights of the night. It was really a life-changing night and I will never forget it.”