Nicholas "Student of the Game" Frese

This multidisciplinary athlete, born in Amsterdam but not a Bangkok citizen - began his sporting life in the former as something of a soccer prodigy in his single digits, before switching his attentions to combat as he got older. He started with kickboxing - which is a huge part of the cultural fabric in both his native home of the Netherlands and his adopted one in Thailand, before rerouting once more in his teens and going 60-10 in the amateurs.

Professionally he is under the prominent M-150 banner, with his most famous stablemate being Wisaksil "Srisaket" Wangek, a friend and mentor to (and fan of) Nick. His level of competition so far has left much to be desired, and most of the hype around him is built off gym legends. He wrecked Josh Kelly in sparring, for instance, dropping him multiple times, presaging what ought to have been Kelly's first defeat earlier this month @ MSG (instead receiving a gift draw).

Frese is facing his first semi-serious opponent on June 22nd, part of a card that will be simulcast on Workpoint TV domestically and on DAZN in the West and co-headlining with Apichet Petchmanee vs. Suriya Tatakhun in an interesting lightweight crossroads match - taking on Sonny Mangupaus "The Pinoy Hearns" Katiandagho for the vacant WBC ABC welterweight title. It wouldn't be the first time for the Filipino upsetting an unbeaten and overconfident prospect. From here we should be able to see just how studious the Student has been..

 

Apparently his career was almost permanently derailed by an elbow injury sustained in training, where "a bone was floating around in there", but he was given some bad medical advice until seeking a second, third, and ultimately fourth opinion and finally getting corrective treatment via minimally invasive surgery at Samitivej Hospital.

Forget shopping around in southeast Asia, were that me in Frese's shoes I would have just booked a flight back home to Holland (rated #1 in the Euro consumer health index for a number of years) to get that sorted out. With all due respect to his new home, there's just no comparison. The best facility in Thailand is still probably a bit short of the average Dutch one.