BEING a world champion isn’t enough for kickboxer Ben Heap, writes MATTHEW BOZEAT.

He captured the WRSA light-middleweight title in front of his home Chippenham fans in April – and now he wants more.

The 28-year-old fights Scotland’s Ryan Lyall for the vacant WKMA version of the world championship in Milton Keynes on September 29.

"I want all the major belts,’’ said Heap. "I’m at the level now where I can fight anyone in the world.

"After I won the world title there was talk of me fighting in China – and they are the sort of fights I want.’’

Heap’s route to the top of the world has been a long and winding one.

He started kickboxing to fend off school bullies, began fighting competitively and then drifted into boxing.

He turned professional, but admitted: ‘’That was a mistake. I did that too soon and I didn’t really understand the politics of pro boxing, how the business works.

‘’I decided pro boxing wasn’t really for me and went back to kickboxing.’’

Heap climbed back into contention and lost a world title challenge in Bristol.

He got another shot at the WRSA belt in April and this time, with his home crowd behind him, Heap got the verdict, over Zeith Mon in a hard 10-round fight.

"If I didn’t win that fight, I would have thought; ‘I can’t do this anymore’ and I would have walked away.

"It’s hard to stay motivated when you struggle to get fights and then when you do fight, bad decisions go against you. But I've stuck at it and now I’m world champion.’’

Heap says his fight with Lyall is his chance to prove he’s among the elite.

"For years, he has set the standard,’’ admitted Heap, who works as a window fitter and runs kickboxing classes.

"He has been where I wanted to. I thought I was there and then I lost a world title eliminator. I worked my way back up, but the fight didn’t happen. We both went into pro boxing, came back and now the fight’s finally happening.

"I know he’s a tough opponent, but he’s at the end of his career now.’’

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