Kru Sawatt (aka Yodnapa Luktupfah)

No not scored in Thailand, but elsewhere you can tell it figures into scoring in say Europe and America even though it shouldn't.

That Lethwei guy Tway Ma Shaung...when he bites down on the gum shield, tilts his head down and decides to go into beast mode, he's brutal.

Yeah I know what you mean, I always find it entertaining when guys like Buakaw, Yodsanklai, Sitticahi, Pornsanae etc who were never even top 10 in their days of fighting in the Thais scene can still go and destroy the best foreigner's 10 to 15 years after their primes! Show's how MT in the Thai scene at 140lbs and below is a different sport to every thing else above 140.....no comparison. Saenchai is the exception though...he was the best in his prime in the Thai scene to.

 

yeah in the western world punches score don't they and some fighters like Liam Harrison feature punches heavily in there game. It can be advantage against Thais fighting in the west sometimes can't it .

I'm really enjoying manachais fights at the minute. Buakaw fought in the west as he got tired with the gambling side of the sport didn't he?

Yes Shaung certainly has fighting in his blood.

Yeah MT the way the Thais do it is a very very tough task, the rest of the world still has a lot of catching up to do

 

No, he doesn't ping on my radar and in any sense as an ATG fighter or Raja or Lumpinee champ. But mate, I'm getting older and there are so many fighters in the recesses of my brain bouncing around alot staring with "Yod" which means best probably the most common fight prefix. However, I've got a good memory and it isnt coming....

Reliable MT records from Thailand.....I almost spat my drink out! No seriously I'd say traceable records in English can only really be found for the modern age of say the last 5 to 8 years for Thai fighters. The same short period of time the Thais finally realised the world takes MT seriously so maybe they should to. I've never seen a full fight record for a golden age ATG, although I'm sure they exist. Many guys you fought to from that age have forgotten who they fought! Its not unusual for a guy to have 300 fights, and sometimes fighting the same guy maybe 5 times or more. Happened alot actually in the 60s & 70s.

I don't know where our getting the "legendary" info from but Tiger MT is no bastion of elite MT. Good foreign fighters have trained there and a few good Thais but basically it's a business for MT & MMA tourists and who want to fly in, train for a couple of weeks, get a tan, get laid and get a soft fight against a Thai in the local island stadium before chilling on the beach and posting it all on Facebook before flying home. The real macoy is mostly in BKK and a few rural gyms down south and in Issan. Phuket, Samui & Pattaya are paradise for roided poser's . Not the place to go if you really wanna train serious.

 

Liam and Jordan both quality fighters form Bad Boy Gym Leeds. Yeah it can be an advantage especially in the early 2 rounds before the Thai "wakes up". When I was fighting in Thailand late 90s early 2000s we were encouraged to do that. Blitz them heavy...Kinda Dekkers Coban style! Although I say it's an advantage but alot of Thais have good hands and remember the high coring knee can be krypotinte to the punch.

Buakaw was getting financially raped by Por. Pramuk. That's why he disappeared for those years, big court case.

I believe the world will never catch up...it's just one of those things. Sure the western fighters are getting better and better and some a handful are superb, but the age the Thais start, the quality and competition of the ranks...it'll never happen The machine is too well oiled. Remember the highest weight class in Lumpinee is 154....most westerners fight higher than that.

 

Ramon dekkers was a beast. Brutal. Yes lots of Thais do have good hands.

Yeah you can't blame Buakaw for carving a name and living for himself abroad. Gambling always been a huge huge part of MT though hasn't it.

Yeah I agree mate, the Thais are ruthless at it, it's their sport there culture.

Yea most Thais are naturally smaller aren't they

Do you miss fighting mate, ?

 

I'm sure they're from rose tinted wearing westerners...the truth is he' a lifetime MT fighter even though not top tier he's still a bad ass compared to 99% of westerners walking into that gym. Alot of the hype that comes form the "island" gyms seems to be from tourist MMA guys.

I just did a search on him on Tiger MT and it says he fought on the Southern circuit and was a South of Thailand Champ. That tells me alot. The southern scene is small, but very tough. Most MT fighters come from Issan the North East and Central Thailand. There are never many Southern fighters but they are quality and usually quite technical, just think GOAT Poot Lorlek, ATG Namsaknoi, ATG Hippy Singmanee and a bunch more etc. The fact he fought down there for so long and in Malaysia probably mean he was "luk toong luk toong" or provincial fighter, either not up to the mustard of BKK stadiums I r just through politics never got the chance, I could be wrong though. His gym name is a well known BKK gym though.

Forget the other guy Daodennoi, it's an island stadium mostly geared for tourists in a country of possibly 200 to 300,000 fighters....

 

Well most people think Buakaw one the first one, felt he was not exactly robbed but didnt get the rightful decision. Petrosyn never seemed interested in MT rules or fighting in Thailand. TBH I don't think Petro wanted it. That was at Petro's height of fame...it was all his to lose in the West. I think politics as well may have played a part... he was having trouble with Por Pramuk, he was unhappy, partying a bit, I think he was signed with Thai Fight or Max at the time of a possible rematch both Thai rules, not Petro's thing. Who knows...

 

Sure going abroad to K1 made Buakaw, he was a nobody on the Thai fight scene, he never won a Raja or Lumpinee belt. Omnoi stadium belt was his biggest deal.

Sure, if gambling stopped today, there would be no MT tomorrow. Gambling is its sole reason of survival.

All the Thais you mentioned earlier that go on to fight westerners on the western or "world"scene fought thier primes at below 140. Once the west hears of them they are done at their primes interms of quality MT. The ones that can make 60 to 70 kilos go on and fight, but most can't get that big. Guys that can fight HW K1 like Changpuek and Kaoklai are real rarities even though still tiny.

 

Yeah Buakaw is definitely a more accomplished fighter on the K1 scene.

Gambling is as much a part of the sport as the Wai Kru or clinching haha


Yeah I see what you're saying mate

 

Yep, that looks like an elderly Kong.

But that is not a real fight. It’s staged. They are pulling the kicks the punches, the knees. There’s no power in any of that, watch Kong’s hips when he turns into the kick, he doesn't fully rotate into the kick and there is no natural snap, every shot is placed and held a mili second. Ex fighting Thais do this all the time in tourist stadiums. They’re very good at it.