Construction At Fairtex
Constrctuion is well underway and is due to finish by the end of the month.
Going To Korea
(In this Photo: BGV1-Black, KPLC6-Gold)
Fairtex Fighters get opportunities. Regan Gowing recently fought in Canada. Andy Cehovsky fought in Australia. Saemapetch got a belt in the UK. Stamp went to Colorado last year.
Now Valentin Compangnon goes to Korea. The Frenchman battles Korean athlete, Shin Dong Hyun at 66kg. The bout is set for April 6th in Seoul.
ONE Championship Wins
(In This Photo: FGV17-Black, BS1702-Blue)
Shir Cohen made her ONE Championship debut in style. The Israeli athlete beat Teodora Kirilova in the 2nd round by TKO.
“I knew that she was close to going down,” Cohen said.
Her opponent was cut. The referee stopped the bout to check on the laceration. The fight continued.
“This is your time,” she said to herself. “ I just chased her and hunted her down. And that’s it…. I’m so happy I won my fight.”
The splash that Cohen made will last. The Road To ONE winner is waiting for her next bout.
Quinty Fights On March 23rd
(In this Photo: SP5- Blue, BPV-Red)
Netherlands Quinty Klein Gotink is back in the ring.
“I fight March 23rd,” she said.
Her last outing had her at Lumpinee for the WBC Amazing Muay Thai Festival. Now she fights at the Mecca of Muay Thai again.
“Last time was shit,” she said. “This time I will prove myself.”
Klein Gotink takes on a Thai opponent, Praewa. The technical Thai beat Klein Gotink’s stablemate Elisa Keck twice. Praewa used effective stalls and kicks against Keck.
Nevertheless, Klein Gotink is thinking positively.
“I’m excited,” she said.
Coming Back To Fairtex
(In this Photo: Bag9- Black, FMV15-Gold)
Fairtex hosts repeat students. Some come to the gym yearly. Others let more time pass and then return. But regardless there are always long term friends at the facility.
One of Fairtex’s good friends is Chris. The tall athlete trained at the gym for the last three months. He’s visited Thailand several times and stayed in Chiang Mai. It was there that he met Mark Abelardo. The Filipino MMA fighter and Chris became good friends.
The two reunited for training and action at the gym.
We’re so happy to have amazing people like Chris at Fairtex.
Yodnamchai The Chicken Fighter
Yodnamchai loves fighting. The young athlete grooms his stable of fighters. They are boxers, but they are also chickens.
“I have about 30 chickens,” he said.
When he’s not training he busies himself taking care of his fighters.
“I’ve had over 100 fights with them,” he said. “Each week I have about 2 fights.”
Chicken fighting is common in Thailand. The purses come from gambling and each chicken’s fight lifespan is about 8 bouts.
Recently Yodnamchai took home a massive purse.
“The biggest purse I made was 60,000 baht,” he said.
The money is a little less than $2000. There’s money in fighting of all forms.
Thoughts On Shir
Manman is Fairtex Training Center’s longest running Filipino boxing coach. He’s been working at the gym since 2019.
Recently he got a chance to corner Shir Cohen for her ONE Championship debut.
“She only kicked a little,” Manman said. “But the priority is hands because it’s small gloves.”
The small gloves change the game. Punches have a big impact. And Cohen knew that. She smashed her opponent with big right hands.
“Cohen has a good heart,” Manman went on.
The muscle in her chest and her bravery got her a decisive win.
For Manman it's part of a process. He’s been training fighters on ONE regularly. Athletes in ONE can’t get into firefights. The small gloves can take them out fast and easy.
“There’s a little bit more head movement now,” he said.
Continued head movement will develop the athletes further. That’s what Manman plans on instilling.
Tired
(In this Photo: HW2-Gray)
Training is hard. From beginning athletes to advanced the toil and routine tires fighters out.
Ferrari Fairtex feels it. He’s a week away from his next bout.
The former fighter of the year goes to Lumpinee for a battle on March 22nd in the main event.
When Do I Fight?
Everyone wants to know when they fight. For athlete Benny, the answer is simple.
“I will fight when the trainers tell me too,” he said.
Trainers will get athletes bouts according to their skill level and conditioning. Fighters must be able to protect themselves first and foremost. Then they must be in athletic shape.
Beginning athletes must run 3-5 days a week along with doing necessary conditioning work. That includes knees on the bag, sit ups, push ups, and of course lots of sparring.
We hope to see Benny in the ring soon.
Author: Matt Lucas
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