A KICKBOXER told today how he feared for his life when a riot broke out after he had poleaxed the world champion.

Brian Lawrence had to make a quick getaway when the mob turned violent after his bout with the reigning champion in Papua New Guinea.

Brian, from Chickerell, near Weymouth, felled the favourite Stanley Nandex with a low blow and watched in amazement as all hell broke loose outside the ring.

His dream fight soon turned into a nightmare as the crowd bayed for blood as their local hero lay prostrate on the canvas.

The 5,000 crowd in Port Moresby overturned tables and chairs and fights broke out in the arena.

A shocked Brian and Tom Ashe, his coach at Weymouth Martial Arts Centre, worried they may not get out of the building alive.

Brian, who works at BHC Aerovox on the Granby Industrial Estate, Weymouth, was disqualified for the blow in the third round of the contest as Nandex convulsed on the canvas for more than 10 minutes.

Brian said today: "For a moment I really feared for my life because I thought the crowd were rioting because of me getting disqualified. I looked at Tom and said 'How are we going to get out of here alive?' It was so scary."

The pair were later told that some of the mayhem was caused by a witch-doctor whom the superstitious locals claimed had had a grudge against Nandex.

Tom added: "When we were being driven back to the hotel afterwards the taxi driver told us the crowd were unhappy because the witch-doctor touched Nandex on the leg between rounds. It appears that there was a grudge between the pair.

"It seemed mad at the time but because he was down convulsing and shaking like he was, it does make you wonder."

But despite the close shave Brian and Tom, who were the first ever Europeans to visit the country for a sporting event, have nothing but praise for the people of Papua New Guinea.

"I was absolutely gobsmacked at the reception we got out there. The four days were an amazing experience which I'm never going to forget," Brian said. "We were mobbed everywhere we went and were the equivalent of David Beckham over there. The people were so friendly and I signed thousands of autographs and was regarded as a star by the media," said Brian, who remains officially undefeated, according to the sport's governing body.