Stamp Wins At ONE Fight Night, Strength and Conditioning, Leg Kick Pads, and more
Stamp Wins At ONE Fight Night 6
(In this photo: Fairtex BGL6 Pro Leather Laced Competition Gloves)
The traffic in Bangkok stopped! The road cleared and everyone in the capital was watching Stamp Fairtex. The bout was high stakes and there were more twists and turns than grains of sand in Thailand.
ONE Championship contracted Stamp to fight kickboxer Anissa Meksen in a special rules bout. It would be a mix of MMA and Muay Thai. But Meksen no-showed to the weigh ins. So she was not eligible to fight.
With just one day to go, Stamp didn’t know who she would face. The promotion wanted her to fight.
In a surprise twist, Supergirl came to save the day. The Jaroonsak Muay Thai gym fighter stepped up to the challenge. Supergirl is younger but bigger than Stamp. The two agreed to a kickboxing fight.
And so on Saturday morning at Impact Arena the two women fought. The judges, the fans, and the world over focused on the fight. Stamp banged hard with her right hand snapping back the head of Supergirl. The wonder woman pushed forward though. She came out with multiple attacks and her attacks flew. Stamp cut at her legs.
In the end, the judges gave Stamp the split decision win. Chatri Sityodtong gave Stamp a hefty $50,000 bonus.
In the post bout weigh ins, Stamp came in at 117lbs. Supergirl weighed 125lbs.
Basics Of Strength And Conditioning
The rise of talent in the sport is growing. Each fighter wants the edge. One advantage is a solid strength and conditioning program.
A basic strength and conditioning schedule will be a PPL, or Push, Pull, And Legs. The body is split into three parts in the system. The push works out the upper body, chest, shoulders, and triceps. The pull workout focuses on the upper body pulling muscles like the biceps and back. Legs target the lower body with attention on the hamstrings, quads, and calves.
Exercises include bench presses, lateral raises, bent over rows, pull ups, squats, and Romanian deadlifts.
Athletes like Aaron Zackon use this system three days a week. This also gives him a rest from the heavy repetition of running and padwork.
New Year New Fights
(In this photo: Fairtex BS1703 Red Slim Cut Muay Thai Boxing Shorts, Fairtex Classic Sports Bra)
2022 was a busy year. 2023 looks even busier. The Training Center amassed 160 fights over the year. Several months of the year, so no bouts due to Covid 19 restrictions.
The gym won 101 times over the year with 57 losses and 3 draws. It obtained a win rate of 60%. The fighters' win percentage increased by 3% over 2021. Last year also saw the most fights in the last four years.
2023 is already ready to rock. At least twelve fighters will enter the ring this month.
Women of Fairtex KO 2022
(In this photo: Fairtex BS1911 New Muay Thai Boxing Shorts)
The Training Center was busy with fights in 2021. And the women of Fairtex were busy winning. The record was a total of 58 fights with 46 wins 13 losses and 2 Draws. That is a 79% win rate The women represented a third of the bouts at Fairtex.
Currently, the gym hosts a strong stable of 14+ professional female athletes. Standouts include Stamp Fairtex and Smilla Sundell. Both of them are ONE Championship champs.
Rising stars include Dokmaipaa, Thai-Ngan Le, Junior and Nong Am. Women are gaining opportunities fast. The stadiums in Thailand opened up for women. The major venues, Rajadamnern and Lumpinee allow female athletes to compete.
A Clear Path To The Top
(In this photo: Fairtex FGV18 Super Sparring Grappling MMA Gloves, Fairtex KPLC5 Muay Thai Kickboxing Lightweight Thai Pads, Fairtex BPV1 Belly Pad Rib Guard Body Protector)
Fighters want to climb and Fairtex created a ladder of success. Athletes at Fairtex can begin their journey with bouts at the Training Center. These low level bouts are relatively pressure free. They happen after training with the entire staff cheering the athletes on.
From there the new boxers can move on to Fairtex Fight promotion. Matched appropriately this is a great way to get exposure and experience. They can then be picked up by ONE Lumpinee. The new promotion pays more than any other show in Thailand. Pay rates are equivalent, if not better than many foreign events as well.
Then it’s on to the top, ONE Championship. The international promotion is streamed on Amazon Prime and paydays can go into the tens of thousands of dollars, if not more.
The path to success is not easy though. Fighters must literally fight to gain their spot at the top. Now though, there is a clear path.
What are leg kick pads good for?
(In this photo: Fairtex LKP1 Leg Kick Pad, Fairtex SP5 Competition Muay Thai Shin Guard)
The Muay Thai leg kick pad is a modern staple of equipment. The heavy “suitcase” absorbs the shock of leg kicks.
Attacks to the legs cut into the opponent’s thigh. In Thai they are called Jaw Yang ( เจาะ ยาง) or puncture the tire. Once the legs are cut into the foe is unable to move, and can be stopped.
Stopping a fighter via leg kicks takes roughly 10-20 clean blows. However some fighters like Rodlek and Liam Harrison have exchanged 61 leg kicks in an entire fight with no ko.
How Fairtex Fight Athletes Warm Up
Backstage at the famed Lumpinee stadium, fighters warm up with a basic massage. Nam Man Muay, the menthol based boxing liniment is not allowed at Fairtex Fight and ONE Lumpinee. So the fighters must shadow box and warm their bodies through light pad work. Traditionally fighters are slathered in a combination of liniment and Vaseline to prepare themselves for battle. The new standards are in accordance with international rules and regulations. Handwraps are also regulated as well. Fighters are no longer able to put tape above the knuckles, a common practice in other events.
Thai Style Interviews
Nui Dino, a reporter based in Bangkok interviews Nongam fairtex ahead of her bout at Lumpinee. Many of the Muay Thai journalists in the industry spent time at Muay Siam. Formerly Muay Siam was a newspaper that covered the sport. The rise of the internet had the daily news shut down. Now the writers serve as commentators and internet newsagents. They will approach athletes at any moment, shadowboxing, in the back room, after the fight. Because everyone wants the inside scoop on what is going on in the world of Muay Thai.
Author: Matt Lucas