TEENAGE kickboxing brothers from the district are preparing for the Battle of the North.

Callum and Owen Beeckmans, of Prudhoe, will take on opponents in their respective age and weight categories, on Sunday, in Rochdale.

Callum (16) will face Leeds fighter Charlie Lynch-Spence in an an eagerly anticipated 63.5kg bout, between two youngsters who have met twice previously.

Owen (13) has been lined up to face Tristan Greenleas, of Yorkshire, in a 52.5kg light contact bout.

The double event has been billed as the Battle of the North by Wolf King Fight Promotions.

It follows the impact made by the Beeckmans brothers in martial arts in recent years.

In July, elder sibling Callum scooped a hat-trick of titles at the World Kickboxing Organisation (WKO) Open World Championships.

Over the past two years, Callum has also made a name for himself in mixed martial arts (MMA), and in June he successfully defended his national MMA title.

The brothers work with Ian and Kennedy Freeman at their specialist MMA school in Stanley, County Durham, and Hexham-based David Wells, who is the only coach outside of New York certified to teach 52 Blocks, an African-American martial art which focuses on defensive moves, to improve their skills.