Sport

Belfast's Braniff brothers to the four in history-making show

Proud dad Mark Braniff with sons Dan, James, Nathan and Adam at the Prokick gym, ahead of Sunday's historic 'Brothers in Arms' card. Picture by Mark Marlow
Proud dad Mark Braniff with sons Dan, James, Nathan and Adam at the Prokick gym, ahead of Sunday's historic 'Brothers in Arms' card. Picture by Mark Marlow Proud dad Mark Braniff with sons Dan, James, Nathan and Adam at the Prokick gym, ahead of Sunday's historic 'Brothers in Arms' card. Picture by Mark Marlow

HISTORY will be made on Sunday when the four Braniff brothers all compete on the same professional card – a first for Irish kickboxing.

James, Adam, Dan and Nathan will all be step inside the squared circle at the Prokick Gym as part of the Champions Fight League IV, with the Belfast siblings all going for glory in the unprecedented ‘Brothers in Arms’ event.

Spare a thought, though, for parents Mark and Hilary who, having watched James work his way to the top of the game - earning British and European titles along the way - must now go through that rollercoaster of emotions another three times in the same day.

It is a momentous occasion too for Prokick founder Billy Murray, who has been involved with the brothers from the start.

“The Braniffs have all had their own journey into the sport,” he said.

“James was the first to join ProKick at the age of 14, and he was followed a few years later by younger brother Adam. It wasn’t long before Adam also showed a desire to compete and to date has had a number of fights, both at home as well as an unforgettable stoppage in Scotland.

“When lockdown lifted, James’ older brother Dan decided to join in July 2021, and he soon got a taste for competing. He’s been busy over the last year, getting as much experience as possible, fighting in Belfast, Derry, Waterford and Scotland.

“His last few performances have shown that he is learning and honing his craft inside the ring, and we see him as a real up and coming talent.

“Now, you might think all this training together would be a bit much for the brothers, but throw into the mix the fact they work together in the family business ‘The Captain’s Table’, and you begin to understand just how close their bond is.”

Eldest brother Nathan was the last of the crew to take up kickboxing, first walking through the doors of the gym in August last year.

And, as Murray reveals, it was an unexpected opportunity that led him to follow in his brothers’ footsteps.

“Nathan, an up and coming actor, had been living and working in London until he secured a lead role in new BBC One drama ‘Blue Lights’, written by Declan Lawn and filmed here in Belfast.

“His move home for this meant he was able to see what the big deal was about kickboxing and join his brothers training – he hasn’t looked back since, and makes his competitive debut on Saturday.”

James Braniff tops the bill with his first defence since winning the WKN European title in Belgium in November. It has been a busy time for the 20-year-old, who returned from a long lay-off - due to an injury not associated with the sport - to compete at October’s Champions Fight League II show, before going on to claim the European crown.

Sunday’s action gets under way at the Prokick gym from 3.30pm - to purchase tickets visit https://shop.prokick.com/products/blood-brothers-cfl-4