4 Months 0 Fights
(In this Photo: HW2-Pink)
There are bouts weekly. At ONE Lumpinee there are 12 bouts. The monthly ONE Fight Night shows also have 12. For ONE Lumpinee 48 athletes are needed. In total 60 fighters step into the ring every month for ONE Championship.
But for the last 4 months, Kompetch hasn’t been one of them. The former Lumpinee and Channel 7 stadium champion has done well at the promotion. He’s beaten Kongchai, Daren Rolland, and Huo Xialong. His only loss in the promotion was last year to Prajanchai. Prajanchai is the current kickboxing and Muay Thai champion.
So why no fight? It could be anything – budget, timing, a lack of opponents.
Regardless Kompetch is in the ring. Staying sharp. Ready for his turn.
Cage life
(In this Photo: BGV14- Red, FGV18-Red)
Fighting in the cage is different. In the ring, the boxers can trap each other. The corners are sharper. The ropes give the athletes to bounce against.
The cage is hard mesh. Boxers can lean against it but there’s not as much give. MMA fighters need to learn how to cage walk. A downed fighter crawls their way to the cage. They use the wire to bring themselves to their feet.
Athletes Vova and Mark Abelardo use the cage for sparring. It’s a necessary part of MMA. He wears the Fairtex Super Sparring Grappling Gloves. These allow him to take down his partner, throw punches, and still able to grip.
Ellie Harber Goes To JF
The small stadium is just down the street from Fairtex. Every night Chinese tourists pack the venue. There are two shows a night. Each show is three bouts.
And Ellie Harber was the first bout on the first show. She took on a local girl. For many Fairtex fighters that go to JF, the stadium is a warm up spot. Or it is a place to build experience.
For Harber, it was the former. She hasn’t fought in her home country of England for months. She needed a tune up fight.
The level wasn’t even. Harber was better. So she was able to try new techniques and new styles.
In Muay Thai wins and losses aren’t counted as heavily. So fighters can move up and down in level. If they lose, they can drop down. If they haven’t fought lately they can drop down. And if they win they can go back up.
In the sport, it’s about fighting.
Why Movement Is Important
(In this Photo: BPV2-Red, BXS1 Leather Boxing Sticks, HW2-Gray, Fairtex Vinyl Sweat Suit)
Many fighters stand in a 50-50 to their opponents. They square up and then exchange shots. This is the traditional style for Muay Thai fighters.
But now the game is changing. More foreign athletes use lateral movement. Coming from kickboxing backgrounds they will use the ring to hit and run.
Before his next fight Ferrari practices his footwork with Filippino coach Man Man. The boxing instructor uses Fairtex Boxing Sticks to help aid Ferrari’s footwork. He forces Ferrari to take tight turns and to maneuver around.
This is very important for muscle memory, especially in the days leading up to the bout. Ferrari is wearing the Fairtex Vinyl Sweat Suit. This helps cut the last bit of water needed before he goes to weigh ins.
Flashy Techniques With Shir Cohen
(in this Photo: AS1- Green, TP3 Thigh Pads-Black, Fairtex Leg Kick pad)
To catch the eye of the crowd athletes need something exciting. For kickboxing world champion Shir Cohen, the eye catching move is the spinning back kick. She practices it with her trainer Kru Noon.
The trainer uses the classic Fairtex Leg Kick pad to absorb the powerful kick. The leg kick pad is traditionally used for attacks on the leg. It can also be used for body kicks and shots to the body. The pad is similar to a suitcase with two straps attached. This makes it easy to transition from leg kicks to body kicks or even taking spinning back kicks.
Stamp In Rehab
Fight life is as much about dealing with injuries as it is about fighting. For Stamp, she’s dealing with the former. She’s currently rehabbing her lateral meniscus tear at a rehabilitation clinic in Pattaya.
According to her therapist, she has a ways to go. She’s walking now. But her walk is staggered and slow. She doesn’t have full flexion in her knee either.
“We were focused on controlling and lowering the swelling and pain,” the sports therapist said. “We’ve worked on basic functioning and range of motion.”
It will be a long road but she’s slated to return to the gym in November or December. A fight in early 2025 is likely.
He Likes The Body Shots
(In this Photo: BGLG6-Black, BS1714- Pink Shorts, FMV15- Gold)
Tenzi’s go-to weapon is the body shot. It’s fast becoming a popular tool for Fairtex fighters.
“I like body shots,” the Chinese athlete said. “I’ve won at Lumpinee 3 times with body shot ko.”
In his home country, Tenzi drilled the weapon over and over and over.
“Every day my boxing coach taught it,” he said. “The first ko was just a touch with the body shot. The second and third were hard shots.”
Coming off big wins Tenzi is looking to continue his progression. And he’s doing it in style. He’s wearing the Pro Training Gloves Mexican Style. These gloves have a long wrists and are lace ups. They are designed specifically for heavy punchers.
Thanonchai Fairtex International
He started at only 12 years old.
“I began at Tor Saengtiennoi. I was there for 12 years. Then I moved to Poptheeratham. It’s the gym Samart Payakaroon runs,” Thanonchai said.
Like many Thai fighters, Thanonchai began fighting young. He fought and fought and fought some more.
His path led him to Fairtex after a stint with Golden Era Legend Payakaroon.
“I was at Fairtex for about 2 years,” he said.
During that time he took on stadium greats such as Seksan Or Kwanmuang. He eventually moved to China where he began to work as a trainer.
Now he wants to get back into the ring.
“Before Covid, I didn’t have many fights. Now I can be a trainer and get money every month,” he said.
Along with taking in regular income from fights, he’s also planning on continuing a career as a trainer.
“I’ll be teaching, training, and fighting in Byron Bay in Australia,” he said.
Thanonchai is at the gym waiting until his visa is complete. Then he continues his long journey in the sport.
Author: Matt Lucas
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