LEE Mayo had tears in his eyes when he won his dead friend’s Muay Thai belt.

The Southend fighter was a good pal and business partner of Joe Emmons before his death in November.

Emmons had been due to defend his light heavyweight belt in Thailand, but Mayo fought in his place and earned a second round TKO over a Thai opponent.

“To be honest, it did hit me hard when I won and I was a bit tearful,” said Mayo, 38, who ran Southend Muay Thai with Emmons.

“It was an emotional rollercoaster when they put Joe’s belt on me.

“I had mixed emotions throughout the trip because Joe was supposed to have been with us.

“And going to places that I had been with him before brought the memories flooding back.

“But it is good to have brought Joe’s belt back home,” added Mayo, who wore a pair of his pal’s shorts in the ring in his memory.

Mayo travelled to Hua Hin in northern Thailand with clubmates Mark Sword and Colin Burman.

Mayo had been invited to fight in Emmons place by Thai promoters following his death. The Southend trio spent nine days training ahead of their fights at the Hua Hin Thai Boxing Gardens Stadium.

Mayo admitted that it was hard going training six hours a day while they adjusted to the heat and humidity.

But he admitted it was worthwhile as he secured a second round technical knockout after his Thai opponent’s eyes had closed up as a result of the punches Mayo landed.

Burman fought through all five rounds of his bout but lost out to the judges’ verdict.

Sword was pitted against a strong opponent who knocked the Southend fighter out in the first round.