Madonna cheers on Idris Elba as he wins first ever professional kickboxing fight

The British actor and DJ has been training to become a professional fighter for months 
The Weekender

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Hollywood star Idris Elba is seen unleashing a flurry of blows on another fighter in a video of his kickboxing debut posted online by Madonna.

The 44-year-old Luther star won his first ever kickboxing fight at York Hall in Bethnal Green, which he took part in for a new documentary series.

The actor is being trained by former champion boxer Nigel Benn, and won plaudits online for his effort, with one martial arts expert saying: “Elba doesn’t look half bad.”

After landing a series of kicks and punches in front of a packed crowd, he won the bout by knockout after one minute and 55 seconds.

Elba was watched at ringside by singer Madonna, 58, who later posted the footage of his fight on Instagram.

The pair are rumoured to have struck up an unlikely romance, which he has since denied, and were later seen dining together at M restaurant in the City.

Elba has taken on the challenge of becoming a professional kick boxer for his new three-part documentary Idris Elba: Fighter for the Discovery Channel, which is due to air next year.

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“It has been my dream to fight in a ring properly,” he told Australia’s Daily Telegraph.

“It is not fake, I might get hurt but ultimately I have trained for it and I like to fight.

“I’ve busted my nose a couple of times but hopefully it doesn’t show. Keeping fit is important to me as part of my work and I always used to train back in the day as just a kickboxer before I was acting and now I am on this massive journey.”

Idris Elba: Fighter is set to air on the Discovery Channel next year.

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