Muay Thai News

By Jenypher Lanthier Senior MTiL correspondent Jenypher Lanthier sits down with Siam #1 fighter Natalie Yip before her pro debut bout at Lion Fight 9 against undefeated American Muay Thai standout Tiffany Van Soest

By Jenypher Lanthier I am sitting ringside at Siam No.1 in Toronto, Canada. I sit close enough to feel the occasional drop of sweat whip towards me from a powerful swing kick or punch. Simon Marcus is hitting pads with Ajahn Suchart. The cracking sound that it makes is devastating, like thunderclaps as bones collide against leather with a force and willpower that is not often witnessed live in person. I have trained with Ajahn before, so I am aware of what it feels like to do only five rounds of what can best be described as me trying to hit as hard as I can continuously, while he resists my power with the pads. Each weapon thrown is a fight against his power. If you are not throwing with full power his resistance will make you feel like your weapon just bounces off his Thai pad. I watch as Simon destroyed the pads for five whole rounds and look like he still had energy for more after. This is just a small glimpse of what he must endure to be able to stay at the top and fight opponents such as Artem Levin. It is a mere fraction of the amount of dedication and focus required for him to be where he is. So that got me thinking, “Why? Why really go through all this?” So I asked him. Without further ado, here is my interview with Simon “Bad Bwoy” Marcus. Simon faces possibly one of his toughest challenges battling Artem Levin this Friday on the ...

By Jenypher Lanthier On an unnecessarily cold Saturday night in November, I had the privilege of having two of my fighters fighting on Kru Trevor Smandych’s Journey Fight Series event in Calgary, Canada. Lucky for me, my fighters fought early in the evening and that left the rest of the fights for me to enjoy with my team. The card had some great North American talent on it including a fast paced bout between Jessica ‘Thumper’ Gladstone and Alexis Rufus. I watched the height disadvantaged Rufus enter the ring confident and strong. Jessica entered the ring calmly with a long and lanky build resembling that of Julie Kitchen. In a five round fight where the action never stopped, I witnessed the shorter (by three inches) Rufus wear down Gladstone relentlessly with a barrage of punches and elbows. As a typically shorter-than-my-opponents fighter myself I appreciated the strength and aggression it took to over power someone taller. Rufus was impressive. The tables are about to turn where Rufus is the taller opponent and more experienced of the two but she faces a tough challenge in Tiffany Van Soest. Lion Fight Promotions is back at it again with another stacked fight card and as always it boasts some of the top names in Muay Thai. I am anxious to see fellow Canadian Shane Campbell make his Lion Fight debut along with seeing Yodsanklai, Malapiet, and of course the return of “The Soul Assassin” Kevin Ross. I am particularly excited about the co-main fight between Van Soest and Rufus. Credit goes ...

Glory continues to cement itself as the top kickboxing promotion in the world. With a roster featuring most of the world’s top talents and what seems like, up until now, an intelligent business plan in order to continue it’s impressive growth, Glory is establishing itself as the pinnacle of Kickboxing, and the promotion where many up and coming fighters will no doubt dream to compete. As Muay Thai and Kickboxing continue growing in popularity worldwide, the U.S. is no longer falling behind and is also prepping a steady stream of top class athletes to represent the red, white, and blue inside the Glory ring. Ky Hollenbeck and Michael “Chase” Corley were the first Americans to head overseas and fight at Glory. Recently, A fight between Joe Schilling and Steve Wakeling has been all but confirmed for a Glory card in London on March 23rd, 2013. This alone is an amazing match up since Joe Schilling has been hungry to fight the UK standout for some time. While most people would probably like to see a Schilling vs. Wakeling fight contested under Full Muay Thai rules, this fight is going to be without a doubt one of the most anticipated fights of 2013, no matter if it’s contested under Muay Thai rules or K-1 rules. If having two hard hitting top American talents such as Joe Schilling and Ky Hollenbeck weren’t enough to convince you that Glory is trying to make inroads into the American Muay Thai/Kickboxing scene, we ...

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to catch the Muay Thai in America event but our friends at Muay Thai Authority including the always incredible Scott Hirano behind the lens were on hand to report the exciting event featuring some of the worlds best fighters. Muay Thai in America “In Honor of the King” took place last night at Raleigh Studios in Playa Vista, CA. In the night’s main event Canadian powerhouse Simon Marcus faced Sadibou Sy of Sweden. Marcus was able to keep his perfect record intact as he improved to 29-0 with a third round knockout. Early on in the fight Sy was using some good ring movement to keep Marcus from walking him down, Sy was also able to connect with some solid punches. In the third round Marcus continued to move forward as he tried to walk Sy down, once in range Marcus connected with a right elbow to the head of Sy that clearly hurt him and Marcus followed with a left elbow that sent Sy down. Sy was unable to get up and the fight was stopped. Marcus is now 6-0 in 2012 and continues to show why he is considered one of the best in the world. Read more…

James is the author of Paleo for Fighters Photos by Bauzen When I ask 22-year-old US Muay Thai phenom Jay Matias what he is fighting for, he first tries to remember the exact words of the combatants in the movie Gladiator, seconds before they are raised from the catacomb-like underground hypogeum into battle. As he is remembering, I realize the striking similarities between where we are sitting, in the backstage dressing room at Madison Square Garden, and the setting of that scene. The hallways are narrow and mazelike, utilitarian with painted-over cinder block walls and the buzzing electricity of the heat and ventilation system—a sharp contrast to the grand spectacle that is the main venue, with its geometrically artistic crisscross of ceiling lights, neat rows of cushioned seating, and spotlighted immaculate white ring. As I walk through the hallways, one of the event staff radios to another, “The ring has been vacuumed.” As is the case at every Muay Thai show I have been to, backstage is the most polite place in the world. Egos are bred when people have something to prove, but nowhere to prove it. None of the fighters in the dressing room was holding onto anything to prove—they were about to prove it. After I finish talking to Jay, I make my way down to the ringside press tables. I look out over the crowd and think about how I would characterize it. I find this is hard to do. Instead of the sea of home- and away-team jerseys and raucousness that you might see at a ...

PRESS RELEASE – OFFICIAL STATEMENT RE: HURRICANE SANDY AND MTATM2 November 5, 2012 New York,NY: As the Northeast recovers from the devastation left behind by Hurricane Sandy, TaKe-On Productions will use the November 10th Muay Thai at the Mecca 2 event as a way to help those affected by the storm. “This is our opportunity to step up! We can use Muay Thai as a way to unite the efforts of our fans, and do what we can to help the people who need assistance the most” stated TaKe-On Productions CEO Mike Gasparski earlier today. There will be a donation table in the theater lobby at Muay Thai at the Mecca 2, and we encourage our fans to bring articles to help those in need (clothes, food, etc.) to the donation table. In addition, TaKe-On Productions will hold a 50/50 raffle at the event with all proceeds going to help victims and their families. Along with the above efforts, TaKe-On will be donating Muay Thai gear to help rebuild CROM Martial Training (Rockaway Beach, NY) which was severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy. We will also provide free Muay Thai at the Mecca 2 tickets to the residents of Rockaway Beach, and any students of the CROM Martial Training Gym. Finally, a portion of proceeds from ticket sales made through www.takeonnyc.com (just enter the word “donate” in the Company Field) between now and Friday, November 9th will also be donated to help residents of areas most affected by the storm. “From the beginning, our mission has been to grow the sport ...

The East Coast has been in a state of disarray for the last week. Hurricane Sandy left much disaster in it’s wake and many of our close friends in the Muay Thai community have been left with nothing other than the task of picking up the pieces, rebuilding, and pushing on. Some of our fighter friends are still without power, some had their homes destroyed or severely damaged, and some even lost the gym where they used to train – which as many of you would know, is like a second home. Two Muay Thai events which were scheduled to take place last week in New York and New Jersey: Friday Night Fights and Warriors Cup respectively, were cancelled due to the storm. However, the Muay Thai community on the East Coast will push on and it will persevere. The first attempt for the East Coast Muay Thai community to get back on track will be Take On Production’s “Muay Thai at the Mecca 2″ event, which will be the promotions second venture into the confines of the historic and legendary Madison Square Garden in New York. Muay Thai is Life, will once again by on hand to cover the event and provide the ringside commentary alongside The Wat’s Phoenix Carnavale. The event will feature a truly exciting match up between the explosive and exciting Cyrus Washington and the talented Chike Lindsay. Chike Lindsay is one of the Southeast’s best and most accomplished fighters and Cyrus Washington is ...

In the third installment of Muaythai Journal, we visit Kiatphontip Gym and Sitmonchai Gym to talk to 2011 Thailand Muaythai Rookie of the Year, Peteng Kiatphontip, and fast-rising muaythai fighter Yodkhunpon Sitmonchai. Also weighing in on the social dynamics of how children get their start in muaythai, is muaythai journalist and co-owner of Kiatphontip Gym, Rob Cox.

By Eric Rivera   Lion Fight 7 is most likely going to go down as the event that featured “the right cross heard around the world”. Now that the smoke has cleared after last week’s event and fans have finally wrapped their heads around what happened during the event’s marquee bout, it’s as good a time as any to talk about what we can take away from what was yet another fantastic card put together by Lion Fight Promotions. Walker vs Schilling: The Aftermath   Going in to the main event of Lion Fight 7, pretty much everyone in the so-called “Muay Thai Media”, as well as those in the American Muay Thai community as a whole, had Eddie “Showtime” Walker as a huge underdog versus Joe Schilling. After interviewing and getting to know Eddie for our “America At A Glance” article before his fight, I can’t say I wasn’t pulling for Eddie to score an upset. But wanting Eddie to score an upset and thinking he would actually do it are two completely different things. Joe Schilling is an extremely dangerous fighter. He is the type of fighter that comes into a fight not only determined and 100% confident in his abilities, but is also always looking to win in devastating fashion. Coming off a a pair of exciting match ups with Simon Marcus and a victory over Karapet Karapetyan in Bangkok for the WBC Light Heavyweight Title, Joe Schilling was looking even hungrier and more determined to make Walker just another name ...

by Eric Rivera We are all looking for our calling. We are all looking for that one profession, talent, or activity where as if by some form of divine intervention, we can simply excel and perform better than others and are happy doing it. Some spend their entire lives looking for their “calling” and fail to find it. Often times we settle for what society tells us is right for us and give up searching for what really makes us feel alive. Many times we find our calling by chance. Atlanta-based Muay Thai fighter Eddie Walker found his calling because after years of exercise and weightlifting he found himself still unable to get the results he was seeking. Five years ago, while trying to stay in shape he walked into Knuckle Up Fitness in Atlanta, Georgia and began taking Muay Thai classes. After a few months of training at Knuckle Up Fitness, Eddie caught the eye of professional Muay Thai fighter, Anthony Nieves. Impressed by his power and natural talent, Nieves asked Eddie if he had ever given fighting a thought. This chance encounter would be the beginning of a new journey for Eddie. A journey that has taken him from fighting at local promotions such as Bangkok Fight Night in Atlanta, traveling all the way to Macedonia and representing the US on the Enfusion kickboxing reality show, and finally a shot at facing one of America’s current kickboxing superstars, Joe “Stich’Em Up” Schilling at Lion Fight Promotions’ “Lion Fight ...

It has been a rough week for us at MTiL, once again computer problems and other such nonsense delayed us from posting more about the upcoming Lion Fight 7 event scheduled for this Saturday, October 13th, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. For this reason we have officially declared this week, “Lion Fight 7 week”. Make sure to check out our Facebook page and “like” it because we will be posting pics, videos, and other interesting media highlighting some of the fighters that will be fighting on Lion Fight 7! Also, after the event, make sure to click the Lion Fight 7 banner in the content slider on the main page to get the full results of the nights action. If you are on the West Coast and can make it out to Vegas this Saturday, make sure to get your tickets by checking out Lion Fight Promotions main page and check out the show, live and in person! If you can’t make it to the event, make sure to support the sport and check out the live stream for the event which will air on GFL.tv As you should know right now, Eddie “Showtime” Walker from Atlanta, will experience the stiffest test of his young career as he faces off with the very dangerous and very exciting Joe “Stich’Em Up” Schilling. In a recent interview, Joe spoke about how the love he gets from his widening fan base motivates him to train and fight harder. All but guaranteeing a win, ...

The first few episodes of Muaythai Journal will introduce the fighters and individuals that will be seen throughout the series as we cover more in-depth topics such as gambling, children fighting, social mobility, the history of muaythai, and where muaythai is heading. In the second episode of Muaythai Journal we visit Petchyindee Academy in Bangkok, Thailand to talk to Sam-A Gaiyanghaadao. Sam-A talks about winning the 2011 Sports Writers Fighter of the Year Award. Sam-A’s trainer, Tawiwat Sutti also weighs in on Sam-A’s development as a fighter.

It can’t be denied. Muay Thai is definitely making some huge strides in America. And while there is still much room left to grow for the sport, America’s left and right coasts are the definitive hotbeds for Muay Thai action in the United States. This weekend, the action takes place on the east coast as Friday Night Fights presents the 4th installment of their annual 8-man tournament. The 8-man tournament has been a breeding ground for some of the east coast’s top Muay Thai talent as pros such as Troy Sheridan, Marcus Fisher, Liam Tarrant, Ognjen Topic, Turan Hasanov, and many more have let fists fly as part of this tournament in the past. Tonight (09/28) in NYC, 8 of the countries top amateurs will once again face off in the ring and one talented fighter will battle his way through 3 opponents to become this years FNF 8-man tournament champion. And if the tournament weren’t enough, tonight’s FNF event will feature a pro main event bout between Tony Manoharan and Mohammed Lemjerdine! Below are the names of the fighters scheduled to take part in tonight’s 8-man tournament: Geoffrey Then (Danbury, Connecticut) Daniel McDonald (Huntington Beach, California) Benson Virtucio (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) Cody Moberly (Wichita, Kansas) Anton Potecki (Cambridge, Ontario, Canada) Josh Wyles (Kernersville, North Carolina) Joe Cox (St. Louis, Missouri) Eric Luna (San Jose, California) ————————————————- If one night of face blistering Muay Thai action isn’t enough for you, then Christian Tran and his Warrior’s Cup team have provided you with the perfect solution to your problem ...

The first few episodes of Muaythai Journal will introduce the fighters and individuals that will be seen throughout the series as we cover more in-depth topics such as gambling, children fighting, social mobility, the history of muaythai, and where muaythai is heading. In the first episode of Muaythai Journal we visit Sitmonchai Gym in Kanchanaburi, Thailand to talk to Pornsanae Sitmonchai. Pornsanae tells about his start in muaythai, life inside and outside of the gym, and who he feels has been his toughest challenge in the ring to date. Pornsanae’s trainer, P’Jaa, also weighs in on what he thinks Pornsanae’s strong and weak points are, and why he loves training Pornsanae.

  I began writing this article the morning I received the news that Damien Alamos had successfully defended his Lumpinee Title in an incredible fight with Thai contender Arunchai Pranyeesiphok. However, this profile on the young French Muay Thai sensation has been in production for what seems like months now. Gathering research on a particular fighter in order to coherently and fairly tell their story is hard enough but when most of the information you receive comes from a fighters humble but incredibly proud father, you definitely take your time to make sure everything turns out perfect. I have been hearing about Damien Alamos for over a year now. His exploits may be unknown to those who don’t follow the Muay Thai circuit in Thailand closely but for those who do, the young French star definitely looked like he was going to amount to something special. Most die hard Muay Thai fans now know of Damien Alamos due to his historic Lumpinee Title win over Kongfah Auddormueng. Before Damien, only one other “falang” (foreigner in Thai), Frenchman Mourad Sari, had managed such a feat. And at only 21 years of age, many knew that Damien Alamos’ story had only just begun. However, long before Damien won his title in Lumpinee and at the time of this writing, defended it, Damien was already proving to be a formidable Muay Thai talent in Thailand’s extremely competitive and demanding Muay Thai circuit. But how did a 21 year old French ...

“In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women.” – Tony Montana by Nathan Aripez of MuayThaiAuthority.com Money, power, women, that was something Glen Spencer Jr. lived by when he was running drugs in the streets of Raleigh, North Carolina. Spencer originally attended Shaw University to study accounting, however, a run in with his roommate led to his expulsion, which in turn led him to, as he put it, become a “French Montana style Coke Boy getting money. $300,000 in 6 months.” “It started when I got kicked out of college for fighting. My roommate who pulled a gun on me,” Spencer said. “I took the gun from him and whooped the holly s— out of him.” Out of college and not sure what direction to go in, Spencer’s cousins brought him into the dope game. Along with his cousins, Spencer helped control the Dacian Road section of Raleigh and was living the good life. It was like Tony Montana had said; the money came first, followed by the power and then the women. Although Spencer should have also paid attention to another quote uttered by Al Pacino, this time in the Godfather: Part II, “keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” While at a night club, Spencer and his friends were approached by a rival gang. After a fight broke out, Spencer fought his way out to his car looking for his gun, but was then betrayed ...

Unfortunately, Muay Thai in the U.S. is still in its infancy and is far from reaching the popularity that it currently enjoys in both Europe and Asia. However, the last few years have been pretty big for Muay Thai and the opportunities to help the sports of Kickboxing and Muay Thai flourish in America are now many. For many years American Muay Thai fans could only voice their opinions about the sport at their local gyms and small events where they were either spectator or participant. Now, with sites such as Muay Thai is Life, Muay Thai Authority, Liverkick, Total Muay Thai, My Muay Thai, and more, fans finally have places where they can share their thoughts and or learn about what is going on in the North American Muay Thai scene, as well as the rest of the world. Each of these sites have a different voice but all of them are intent on making sure that, in the end, awareness about the beautiful sports of Muay Thai and Kickboxing grows; not only in America but also around the world. Along with these other great sites, Muay Thai is Life and Muay Thai Authority aim to bring you some of the best coverage of Muay Thai and Kickboxing in the U.S. For this reason we (Muay Thai Authority and Muay Thai is Life) have decided to collaborate on a series titled “America At A Glance – Highlighting Muay Thai in America”, that will showcase not only ...

UPDATE – RESULTS AT BOTTOM OF POST! During these past Olympic Games, one of the most talked about stories in the media was the success of the U.S. women’s teams compared to the lackluster performance of the men. More often than not, the women of the U.S. national team raised their gold medals high while the men had to make due with silver, bronze, or nothing at all. In almost every sport besides basketball, the U.S. women’s teams prevailed yet the men floundered. The U.S. women’s relay team set a new world record. The U.S Women’s soccer team? Gold. The U.S. Women’s water polo team? Gold. Beach Volleyball? Gold. Gymnastics team finals? Gold. And where were the men’s teams in all of this? In every one of the aforementioned sports, they didn’t even make the podium. Female athletes everywhere have made a statement that anything a man can do, they can do just as well. And let it be known that combat sports are no exception. Using the past Olympic games as an example once again, while the U.S. men’s boxing team failed to advance past the round of 16, the U.S.A’s Clarissa Shields won gold in a sport that had no Olympic women’s division until these games. In Judo, none of the U.S.A.’s men got better than bronze while American Kayla Harrison not only became the first American woman to achieve Olympic Judo gold, she was the first American to ever attain Olympic Judo gold…period. ...

Another Take On Productions event has come and gone, and my wallet, my voice, and my brain are still recovering from what was an action packed weekend in Atlantic City. “Battle at Bally’s II” was nothing short of spectacular as all fighters, both amateur and pro, put it all on the line and showcased that the level of Muay Thai in America continues to rise. In all honesty, every single fight had something worthy of highlighting, however in order to not make this recap too long I will focus on the fights that stood out the most. It is worth noting that the 4 ladies fights of the night showcased that the women can definitely put on a show. Two of the evening’s female bouts, Christina Peteraf vs. Jennie Nedell and Kate Allen vs. Melissa LaTerra, showcased vicious knees from the clinch, one which ended in KO. Coincidentally, both of the victors in the aforementioned fights, Kate Allen and Christina Peteraf, hail from Philadelphia’s Cool Hearts Muay Thai, home of professional east coast Muay Thai standout Justin Greskiewicz. The ladies of the colorful Philadelphia gym whose official motto states “We Fight Sexy”, definitely showcased some sexy Muay Thai technique and even sexier knee strikes. In addition to those two ladies fights, New Jersey’s Prairie Rugilo of Girl Fight MMA once again brought her very vocal and supportive fan base to their feet as she battled it out with a very game Kylie Knoll en route ...

Once again Take On Productions has proven that it is on track to become one of the biggest Muay Thai promotions in the United States. While their fight cards have not featured as many Thai and/or international names like those that have appeared on Lion Fight Promotions, M-One, or Push Kick Promotions, they have made up for it with a consistent effort to put on exciting cards featuring regional fan favorites and striking deals with big name companies to grow their brand. Take On Productions president, Eddie Cuello informed Muay Thai is Life yesterday that the burgeoning U.S. promotion has secured a deal with Comcast and that Saturday’s (August 11th, 2012) “Battle at the Bally’s II” event will be aired on Comcast SportsNet on October 13th at 8 pm. However, if you want to catch the event live you can always check out the event on GFL.tv This new deal with Comcast is yet another victory for the NY based promotion as it has recently secured deals with Yokkao Boxing and Madison Square Garden. Saturday’s event at the Bally’s Hotel & Casino will mark the promotions second visit to Atlantic City and it’s second Full Muay Thai rules event. The promotion has also announced that their second trip to NYC’s Madison Square Garden is scheduled to take place on November 10th, 2012. Muay Thai is Life will be on hand in Atlantic City to cover the lead up to Battle at Bally’s II and yours truly will once again serve as ringside ...

We’re back! Muay Thai is Life was MIA for a bit as we were working on a few things outside of Muay Thai that had not allowed us to dedicate as much time to the site as many of our fans were used to, but now we are back in full force trying to bring you as much Muay Thai content as we can. As had been reported previously by our associates at The Muay Thai Media Network New York’s Take On Productions has joined forces with up and coming Muay Thai juggernaut Yokkao Boxing to bring you the next installment of “Battle at the Bally’s”! Because the state of New York continues its crusade against MMA, the use of “Full Muay Thai Rules” (elbows) in Muay Thai fights held in NY continues to suffer. For this reason, the fastest growing NY-based Muay Thai promotion, Take On Productions, decided to occasionally venture to the neighboring state of New Jersey, where Full Thai Rules are allowed. Take On Production’s first venture into the state of New Jersey proved successful with “Battle at the Bally’s” held at the Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was the first “Full Muay Thai Rules” card to be held in Atlantic City and provided fight fans with some great full Thai rules matches that included Jay Matias vs Jake Mainini and Justin Greskiewicz vs Eddie Martinez. On August 11th, 2012, Take On Productions heads back to Atlantic City for “Battle at the ...

Thank you to everyone for your patience. It has been a while since I have released any updates regarding the Muaythai Journal documentary, but that is only because I have been hard at work trying to get this project off the ground. It has been a long process of translation and post-production work, things in which I knew little about until this venture. Without the help of my translators this would have never been possible, so before continuing I would like to thank Waruja Korkijthamkul, my translator in Thailand, and Thasamon Koetphian, my translator here in America. I would also like to thank all those who made this entire project possible. Without their help this would have never been possible. I hope you know who you are. The first episode of Muaythai Journal will be online in about one month, with each episode following thereafter. A list of the individuals who will be featured in this series are listed at the end of the trailer. I hope that each episode showcases a new element of Muaythai that one might not have been aware of before, at the same time drawing in new enthusiasts to the sport. Without further ado here is the trailer for Muaythai Journal.

Muay Thai is Life is proud to announce that the official trailer for the Muaythai Journal documentary will be released Sunday, June 3rd at 9 PM Eastern Time. Muaythai Journal is the pet project of MTiL contributor John Wolcott. John travelled to Thailand earlier this year and embarked on a journey to showcase the Thai Muay Thai scene like it has never be done before. Muaythai Journal will feature interviews with some of Thailand’s top fighters including Pornsanae Sitmonchai, Sam-A Gaiyanghadao, P’teng Kiatphontip, Petchatsawin Seatransferry, Nuengthep Eminent Air, Rungubon Eminent Air, and many more! Also in the documentary MTiL contributor John Wolcott speaks with Thai promoters and various experts about both the good and bad aspects of the Muay Thai scene in Thailand and its impact on local culture. Muaythai Journal will show Muaythai the way we have never seen it. The nice and not so nice. Both inspiration and heartbreak. John has been hard at work translating interviews, logging footage, editing, and everything else that goes into putting together the Muay Thai masterpiece we know Muaythai Journal will be. The first episode of the documentary should premiere sometime this summer and MTiL is the only place you will be able to catch Muaythai Journal as episodes are released. John will be posting a blog with the first episode on Sunday June 3rd at 9 PM EST, so make sure to tune in check it out and leave comments here on MTiL or on ...

So pardon the cheesy Dutch centric header graphic but honestly I had it lying around in my personal library of utterly pointless designs. And given this weekends back to back K-1 style/Dutch Kickboxing events, it was apropos. Needless to say, Peter Aerts will not be fighting this weekend and I’m pretty sure he won’t be kicking any Dutch women wearing traditional garb in the head,…well at least not that I am aware of. Also, while not all of this weekend’s kickboxing festivities are taking place in Holland, they do feature some of the world’s best kickboxers including many from…you guessed it…Holland. The excitement kicks off tomorrow in Stockholm, Sweden as Glory presents their Glory World Series 16-man Elimination Tournament. Here is a list of the incredible face-melting match-ups that will be on the Glory World series card: Glory 16-Man Tournament – May 26th – Stockholm, Sweden 70kg tournament fights: Giorgio Petrosyan (Italy) vs Fabio Pinca (France) Max Vorovski (Estonia) vs Sanny Dahlbeck (Sweden) Robin van Roosmalen (Netherlands) vs Dzhabar Askerov (Russia) Ky Hollenback (USA) vs Michael Corley (USA) Yoshihiro Sato (Japan) vs Shemsi Beqiri (Switserland) Dennis Schneidmiller (Germany) vs Qi Chenglong (China) Kem Sitsongpeenong (Thailand) vs Cosmo Alexandre (Brasil) Albert Kraus (Netherlands) vs Mohamed El Mir (Denmark) Super Fights: Nieky Holzken vs Alex Harris (Sweden) Semmy Schilt (Netherlands) vs Errol Zimmerman (Curacao) Luckily for all of you combat hungry fight fans, a live internet stream for the Glory World Series event will be available. And because at MTiL we’re so damn nice…you can grab that stream here! For those of you in the states, the stream will begin ...

Muay Thai is Life has learned that Rami Ibrahim was forced to pull out of his upcoming bout with Ognjen Topic at the CSC 33 event in Richmond, VA on June 2nd due to a knee injury. Unfortunately, injuries during training are all too common in the sport of Muay Thai and we wish Ibrahim a speedy recovery and hope to see him step back in the ring as soon as possible. Stepping in to replace the injured Ibrahim against New Jersey’s Ognjen Topic is Ibrahim’s talented up and coming teammate Jay Matias. As you may recall, MTiL has consistently rated Matias as one of the most exciting prospects to come out of the East Coast. An exciting and technical fighter, Matias will without a doubt be a great match up for the equally exciting and skillful Topic. Jay Matias who was training for an upcoming fight in Thailand, changed his plans and jumped at the opportunity to face Topic when he learned of Ibrahim’s inability to take the fight. While Topic has already had a handful of pro bouts, this will only be Matias’ second fight. For many Muay Thai fans on the East Coast a Matias vs Topic bout has always been of considerable interest due to the skill of both fighters. On June 2nd, Muay Thai fans will see their wish come true as both of these fighters will face off for the first ever WKA Full Rules Pro Title. Also on the CSC ...

The first time Joe Schilling and Simon Marcus were set to face each other, the Muay Thai community erupted as both fighters engaged in some pretty memorable pre-fight smack talk that eventually saw the stakes beings raised and each fighter’s purse being put on the line in a “winner takes all” mega bout. While the build up to the fight was exciting, the fight itself ended in some controversy and for some, it left many questions unanswered. This Saturday, May 12, 2012, Lion Fight Promotions, which was recently named by the WBC as “2011 Promoter of the Year”, presents “Schilling vs Marcus 2″. An event that will feature the highly anticipated rematch of what is now a full blown rivalry between two of North America’s biggest stars. While neither fighters purse is on the line this time, what is on the line is most likely of much more value. Whoever’s arm is raised on Saturday night secures themselves a bout with WBC World Light Heavyweight Muay Thai champion, Artem “The Lion” Levin on June 9th in Bangkok. For Marcus, the fight will serve as an opportunity to assure Schilling and his fans that the first win was a legitimate demonstration that he is the stronger fighter and more deserving of a June 9th run for the WBC world title. For Schilling, the fight will be a chance at redemption and to prove to his detractors that the first loss was a fluke. For both fighters it ...

UPDATE – RESULTS AT END OF POST! Push Kick Promotions is back! And highlighting their return is the announcement of their upcoming event, Muay Thai World Standoff “Thailand vs The Americas”. The event will feature a few of Thailand’s top fighters, such as Aikpracha “The Hitman” Meenayotin, Lerdsila “Mr. Lightning” Chumpairtour, Neungsiam “The Rock” Samphusri, and Rung Reung Chai facing off with a few of America’s top and rising talents. Standing across the ring from these Thai champions will be some of America’s top talents from both the east and west coast of the United States. Facing off with Aikpracha Meenayotin will be none other than top ranked San Francisco based fighter, Ky Hollenbeck. Hollenbeck recently scored an impressive first round knockout over Cyrus Washington at the Legends Muay Thai event in San Francisco and will be looking to score what would be yet another huge win over one of Thailand’s toughest and most aggressive fighters. Meenayotin recently defeated French star Fabio Pinca and continues to remain active in the Thailand fight scene. The Thai will once again be a incredibly stiff test for Hollenbeck, who must be, by now, accustomed to people informing him that his choice of upcoming opponent will be, “the most difficult he has ever faced”. In the other highly anticipated bouts, east coast based fighters Ognjen Topic and Rami Ibrahim will clash with Neungsiam Samphusri and Lerdsila Chumpairtour respectively. Both Topic and Ibrahim are among some of the top east coast fighters in ...

Legends Muay Thai Championship was held in San Francisco, California over the weekend (4/28) and was headlined by the main event featuring Ky Hollenbeck vs. Cyrus Washington and the co-main event starring Miriam Nakamoto vs. Sandra Bastian. In the main event, Hollenbeck wasted absolutely no time showing Muay Thai fans worldwide that his first and only professional loss against Nieky Holzken in November was well behind him. Hollenbeck took under a minute to take out the always gritty Cyrus Washington in devastating fashion. Roughly 50 seconds into the bout Hollenbeck unleashed a spinning back fist that floored Washington immediately and prompted referee Vichai “Rex” Supkitpol to call an end to the bout. Hollenbeck thus earned himself the WMC Intercontinental Title with the quick win and now turns his sights to competing at the Glory World Series Tournament in Sweden on May 26th. In the co-main event of the day, WBC World Champion Miriam Nakamoto faced off with Canada’s Sandra Bastian. Nakamoto spent most of her 2011 season nursing a knee injury and the subsequent surgery but looked in good form against her tough Canadian opponent. Nakamoto picked apart Bastian by waiting for opportunities to pounce with combinations of punches and elbows, utlimately stopping Bastian in Round 3 via TKO stoppage. Bastian fought well trying to put together combinations with both kicks and punches but never quite found her rhythm against the tough American. With the win, Nakamoto picked up yet another title in the form of ...

For months now, we have had heard rumors regarding the return of K-1. Then there came the news that K-1 and current kickboxing powerhouse It’s Showtime struck a deal whereby both promotions would join forces in order to put together some of the biggest kickboxing bouts since the K-1′s glory days in Japan. Finally, we heard rumors of a show sometime later this year as well as a press release stating that K-1 is looking to make its way stateside during the 2012-2013 season to help further promote kickboxing here in the United States. Now, whether or not all of these statements hold up in the long run remains to be seen but what we do know now is that kickboxing heavyweight Badr Hari has signed a deal with K-1 and will return to the kickboxing ring in addition to continuing his quest for boxing glory. In addition to the news regarding Badr Hari, K-1 has now released the full lineup of K-1 Rising, their heralded comeback event which will be held on May 27th in Madrid, Spain. The event will feature the return of the K-1 MAX 70kg/154 lb. Final 16 as well as a few heavyweight super fights. Check out the match ups below. K-1 MAX Final 16: Mike Zambidis vs. Chahid Oulad El Hadj Andy Souwer vs. Abraham Roqueni Artur Kyshenko vs. Su Hwan Lee Xu Yan vs. Yasuhiro Kido Gago Drago vs. Andy Ristie Yuji Nashiro vs. Reese McCallister Harut Grigorian vs. Murthel Groenhart Longern Superpro Samui vs. Chris Ngimbi Heavyweight Superfights: Badr Hari vs. Anderson ...

East Coast (USA) Muay Thai standouts Rami Ibrahim and Ognjen Topic will clash on June 2nd, 2012 at the CSC 33 event in Richmond, Virginia for the WKA USA’s first ever Full Thai Rules Pro Title. Ibrahim and Topic are two of the East Coast’s top nakmuays and this is definitely a bout many fight fans will be looking forward to. It will definitely be interesting to see how Topic pinpoint accurate and traditional Muay Thai style will match up with Ibrahim’s relentless pressure and boxing prowess. As you may recall Topic was MTiL’s 2011 breakthrough fighter of the year and in 2012 Topic has looked to continue his rise through the Muay Thai ranks, most recently defeating Josh Sampo at Friday Night Fights in NYC. Ibrahim on the other hand has yet to see any Muay Thai action in 2012; His last bout being a decision loss to Coke Chunawat in what was a hard fought 5 round battle at Battle in the Desert 4 back in November 2011. As for the rest of the CSC 33 card, it has yet to be announced but we are sure that as usual for CSC, it will feature top amateur and pro talent in both Muay Thai and MMA. For more info regarding the event, make sure to keep checking back here at Muay Thai is Life!

On Saturday, April 28th, World Team USA Muay Thai will present a Muay Thai and MMA supershow in San Francisco, California to celebrate both Songkran and the Lao New Year. The main event of the evening will feature top ranked American Muay Thai and MMA fighter Ky Hollenbeck against the always dangerous Cyrus Washington. Ky Hollenbeck suffered the first loss of his professional career back in November 2011 as he was bested by Dutch standout Nieky “The Natural” Holzken. However, always the humble and hard working fighter, Hollenbeck stated in a recent interview that losing to Holzken was one of the best things to happen to him. He indicated that due to his undefeated streak, his mentality had become one of fighting to “not lose” rather than fighting “to win”. Ky Hollenbeck looks to get back on the winning track against Cyrus “Black Dynamite” Washington. Coincidentally, Washington also faced off with Nieky Holzken recently at a Muay Thai gala in Suriname, suffering a TKO loss to the Dutch fighter. This will definitely be an interesting fight as both fighters bring explosive unorthodox styles to the ring. Hollenbeck is definitely a powerhouse that never seems to tire, while Washington has loads of experience fighting in all corners of the globe. The co-main event will be just as exciting as Female WBC Muay Thai World Champion Miriam Nakamoto will face Canadian Sandra Bastian for the WMC World Title. Nakamoto has spent a year on the mend after ...

The latest installment of Thai Fight took place yesterday evening in Pattaya, Thailand and needless to say it was yet another exciting event for the promotion that delivered its fair share of devastating knockouts and drama. For U.S. fans, it would be a historic moment as American nakmuay Chaz Mulkey would be the first American to showcase his skill on the Thai promotion. Other exciting match ups would include a bout between Sudsakorn Sor Klinmee and Singhmanee Kaewsamrit that would decide the Thai representative for the upcoming Thai Fight final and the return of Kem Sitsongpeenong to the Thai Fight ring since winning last years 67 kg finals. But perhaps the most talked about story regarding Thai Fight’s trip to the former G.I. playground that is Pattaya, was the drama surrounding Buakaw’s (sans the Por Pramuk surname mind you) return to the ring. Buakaw and his former owners at Por Pramuk Gym were involved in a tug of war that had the executives of Thai Fight caught in the middle. On one hand Thai Fight knew that the star power of Buakaw could only help to boost the interest in their show, but on the other hand Por Pramuk’s gym had secured the backing of Thailand’s boxing authority in stating that Buakaw was still under contract with them and therefore his performance on Thai Fight without their permission would constitute a grievous breach of contract. Rumors soared that Buakaw would serve jail time if he fought on the event. ...

The much anticipated rematch between U.S.A.’s Joe “Stich’em Up” Schilling and Canada’s Simon “Bad Boy” Marcus is set to occur on May 12th in Las Vegas. Once again these two heated rivals will step in the ring, put all talk aside, and let their fists, elbows, knees, and kicks do all the talking. However, while their first encounter included a much publicized “winner takes all” bet that would send the defeated fighter home with just $1, this bout will bring the victor an opportunity that may in fact be more important than their opponents purse money. Joe Schilling and Simon Marcus will be fighting for the opportunity to face Light Heavyweight World Champion Artem “The Lion” Levin on the WBC’s “Battle of the Belts” event on June 9th in Bangkok, Thailand in a world title bout. Both Joe Schilling and Simon Marcus have been very vocal about their desire to face Artem Levin and potentially become world champions. While the first bout between Marcus and Schilling ended with Marcus winning a decisive, yet to some a controversial TKO, Marcus agreed to face Schilling again in order to put the matter to rest. Since their bout, the usually outspoken Schilling has remained unusually quiet, by most accounts choosing to focus all of his energy on training for his upcoming rematch with Marcus. Meanwhile, Simon Marcus has kept himself busy recently defeating Kaoklai Kaennorasing in Bangkok to win a WPMF World Title and fighting in China. The fight ...

  This past weekend, England’s Liam Harrison further cemented himself as one of the worlds top fighters after he dismantled highly respected Andrei Kulebin with vicious leg kicks en route to a TKO win in Rd. 3 of their bout at “The Main Event Manchester” event in the UK. Throughout the fight Kulebin struggled to mount any sort of offense against the Bad Company Gym standout. As Kulebin tried to get his offense started, Harrison would consistently counter with vicious low kicks or attack with a series of combinations that would end with low kicks to the inside and outside of Kulebins legs. Towards the end of round two, it was apparent that Harrison’s kicks were beginning to take their toll on the talented Belarussian. In round 3, Harrison unleashed a barrage of leg kicks for everyone of Kulebin’s attempted attacks and at about 30 seconds into the third round Harrison struck with a quick jab low kick combo that ended the fight as Kulebin limped to his corner seeming to motion to the referee that he could not continue. It was a very impressive performance by Harrison as he made Kulebin look like a far less threat than he truly is. Kulebin has and is considered a top fighter in the world, most recently winning the WKN’s Big 8 Tournament in his home country of Belarus. However, on this night Harrison simply put on a masterful performance to further lay claim that he is the top foreign nakmuay ...

The WBC has announced the official lineup for the June 9th “Battle of the Belts” event taking place at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. An amazing seven WBC Muay Thai world titles will be on the line at this incredible event. As would be expected, the fight card features an incredible line up of some of the world’s absolute best in Muay Thai in each of their respective weight classes, however one champion, Artem Levin, is still waiting on his potential opponent. Canadian superstar Simon Marcus will once again face off with hard hitting American Joe Schilling in a rematch at Lion Fight Promotions on May 12th, 2012 to decide who will fight Artem “The Lion” Levin for the world title. Marcus defeated Schilling by TKO in February, but for some the fight ended much to abruptly and with too much controversy. A rematch was demanded and Marcus obliged, convinced that he will defeat Schilling again. The usually vocal Schilling has since been very quiet, no doubt concentrating all of his efforts on defeating Marcus in the rematch and getting one step closer to reaching his goal of becoming world champion! the card will also feature many more notable names in the world of Muay Thai, such as Saenchai (now Saenchai Sor. Seanchai), Kem Sitsongpeenong, Ramazan Ramazanov, Jomtong Chuwattana, Big Ben, and many more! The quality of Muay Thai that will be taking place the next couple of months is absolutely phenomenal. The temperature is not ...

The sleeping giant of Muay Thai continues to rise. This past weekend legendary dutch fighters Bas Rutten, Ramon Dekkers, and Golden Glory head honcho Cor Hemmers, stepped into center ring at the Glory World Series “Zimmerman vs LeBanner” event to announce the lineup for an upcoming 70 kg/154 lb. tournament. The first round of the 16-man tournament will take place May 26th in Sweden and will also feature a few heavyweight superfights starring the likes of Semmy Schilt, Gokhan Saki, Errol Zimmerman, and Sergei Kharitonov. Like the K-1 tournaments of old, the 16 fighters will fight in order to be narrowed down to a final pool of 8 fighters. In the end the last man standing will take home a check for 300,000 U.S. Dollars. For our American fans, possibly the most exciting part of Glory World Series announcement was that among the names that are scheduled to fight at this 16-man tournament are two rising American stars: Michael Corley (will replace Chaz Mulkey) and Ky Hollenbeck. Hollenbeck and Corley will no doubt have their hands full as the other names that make up the current roster for the event feature a who’s who of kickboxing talent. The line-up as of the announcement is as follows: 1. Giorgio Petrosyan (Italy) 2. Ky Hollenbeck (USA) 3. Michael Corley (USA) 4. Dzhabar Askerov (Russia) 5. Yoshihiro Sato (Japan) 6. Robin van Roosmalen (Netherlands) 7. Fabio Pinca (France) 8. Nonsai Sor. Sanyakorn (Thailand) 9. Alex Vogel (Germany) 10. Denis Schneidmiller (Germany) 11. Maxim Vyrovsky ...

This past week, Jeff Dojillo and his crew at Jeff Dojillo Photography brought us the final installment of their fantastic “Inside the Fight – USA vs Thailand” series. In this episode, the series highlighted the fight between Joe Schilling and Kaoklai Kaennorasing. Joe Schilling has rapidly become a superstar in the U.S. For many of his close friends, students, fans, and teammates he is a hero. For his detractors, he is a man you love to hate. Schilling pulls no punches when it comes to predictions before a fight and/or giving opinions about fighters he has no love for or Muay Thai publications (or writers) that he doesn’t like. But love him or hate him. Joe is a wrecking machine when he gets in the ring. Decimating opponents with a combination of unstoppable aggression and “make you crap your pants” intimidation. Joe Schilling’s biggest win to date, has without a doubt been his absolute destruction of Kaoklai Kaennorasing at the M-One “USA vs Thailand” event. The lead up and after math depicted here in volume 4 of Jeff Dojillo’s fantastic “Inside the Fight” series. Jeff Dojillo truly paved the way for both us and a many other aspiring Muay Thai film makers to use film as medium for showcasing our love for the sport. Because if mass media won’t cover the sport and hop onboard the excitement, our community has plenty of talented people willing to put some great things together in order to push ...

MTiL’s Eric Rivera sits down with professional Muay Thai and MMA fighter Ryan Madigan before his main event bout versus Rigel Balsamico at Take On Productions Muay Thai at the Mecca. The fight was billed as a St. Paddy’s day attraction as both fighters are of Irish descent and were fighting on the eve of St. Patricks Day. The fight would also be Rigel Balsamico’s retirement bout. Madigan would stop Balsamico via TKO in Round 1 of this bout.

MTiL’s Eric Rivera catches up with professional fighter Sean Hinds. Sean Hinds has long been a part of the NYC Muay Thai scene. A talented fighter who got into Muay Thai upon his arrival to the US from the UK, Sean exudes class and is an exciting fighter to watch. This interview was shot prior to his bout with Deshawn Robinson at Take On Productions “Muay Thai at the Mecca” . The fight would go on to be a controversial draw. We are definitely big Sean Hinds fans, always a pleasure to speak with him and watch him fight!

  We decided to try a new thing here at MTiL and put together Skype Interviews, with side by side video, and interview fighters from around the world, that way you don’t just hear the people we interview but can also see them (Granted they have Skype of course). Julie and Nathan Kitchen have been very cool with us here at MTiL so it was only natural that the first people we would interview with our new “innovative” and “completely original” system would be them. I wanted to speak with both Nathan and Julie about Julie’s recent fight against Aleide Lawant for her 14th World Title, her currently rivalry with American fighter Miriam Nakamoto, as well as a few other great subjects like balancing fighting with raising two up and coming twin girls who also happen to be fighters, and the female side of the Muay Thai scene. All in all it’s a great conversation with the classy Kitchen family. We hope you enjoy!

Possibly one of the most anticipated fights of the year is the upcoming clash between arguably two of the best kickboxers in the world. Artur Kysehnko and Giorgio Petrosyan will face off this Saturday, March 24th at Fight Codes Oktagon “La Sfida” in Milan, Italy. Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan has not lost a fight since 2007 and every one of his bouts is a pleasure to watch as the Armenian-born Italian displays what can only be described as absolute artistry in the ring. Petrosyan’s style is a unique amalgamation of slick boxing skills and Muay Thai prowess that has made even the most talented fighters look like novices when they face him. “The Doctor”, a nickname Petrosyan earned due to his ability of picking apart his opponents with surgical precision, makes the sport of kickboxing look effortless. He has defeated the likes of Andy Souwer, Cosmo Alexandre, Dzhabar Askerov, Naruepol Fairtex, Mike Zambidis, Kem Sitsongpeenong, and many more of the world’s best fighters. On March 24th, Petrosyan will look to add another top name to his list as he faces off with Ukranian wunderkind, Artur Kyshenko. Like, Petrosyan, Kyshenko has been on a tear, defeating some of the best kickboxers in the world during his 8-year professional career. However, possibly one of Kyshenko’s only flaws is that while Petrosyan paces himself throughout his fights, Kyshenko pressures his opponents from the opening round, outworking them but sometimes foregoing picking his shots in favor of all out aggression, sometimes ...

By Eric Rivera I really have been honored to work with Take On Productions as they continue to reach their goal of moving Muay Thai forward in the state of New York and more importantly in NYC. I have seen the burgeoning Muay Thai promotion blossom from its humble beginnings doing small shows in Queens to putting on the first Muay Thai events at the Bally’s Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City and the Beacon Theater in Manhattan. I have been lucky enough to be a part of that growth as Take On has occasionally asked me to help them with the design of their posters and to provide ringside commentary for their shows. Therefore, I, along with the MTiL team decided to put together this small video titled “One knockout at a Time” for our friends at Take On. Also the video is to congratulate them on their recent achievement of being the first promotion to bring Muay Thai to the world’s most famous arena….Madison Square Garden. The title of “One Knockou at a Time” is taken directly from the company’s slogan that states that their goal is to “Take On the world one knockout at a time”. As Muay Thai grows in America and the sport gives way to the creation to new and successful promotions such as Lion Fight Promotions, Warriors Cup, Friday Night Fights, M-One, Stand Up Promotions, and many more….it should be recognized that Take On is definitely a part of the aforementioned pioneering group ...

By Eric Rivera Once again I find myself in the concrete jungle of New York City to cover yet another Take On Productions event. However, this event is unlike any other Take On event I have covered, as it will be the first time Take On or any Muay Thai promotion in the world for that matter, will present a Muay Thai event at Madison Square Garden. New York City is an imposing city in its own right but entering Madison Square Garden, with its years of previous sporting and entertainment achievements still resonating in its towering walls and high ceilings, made this already historic achievement for the sport of Muay Thai even more electric. I am needless to say incredibly excited to be a part of this event. It truly is a testament to the growth of Muay Thai in America when after years of being relegated to smaller venues and little coverage, OUR sport has finally made it to historic venues such as Madison Square Garden. The official weigh ins for the “Muay Thai at the Mecca” event took place just minutes after the official press conference for the Sergio Martinez vs Matt Macklin world title boxing match had wrapped up. It was a great highlight in my young career as a member of the “Muay Thai media” when droves of high level boxing and sports reporters, packing their microphones and camera equipment after the conference, approached me to ask what was going on. My answer to ...

  This Friday, March 16th, the sport of Muay Thai will enjoy yet another historic moment in its continuing growth in America when it steps into the confines of the sport and entertainment Mecca that is Madison Square Garden. For the first time in history “The Garden” as it is commonly called, will play host to the beautiful and deadly “art of 8 limbs”. Muay Thai is Life’s own Eric Rivera will be providing the ringside fight commentary for Go Fight Live alongside the beautiful and knowledgeable Phoenix Carnavale from The Wat in NYC. The event will feature a total of 15 bouts of which 10 will be amateur and 5 will be pro. The amateur bouts however will include two title match ups including the final of the Rising Stars 155 lbs. Amateur 8-Man Tournament and the Take On Super Middleweight title. The pro bouts will include many popular names in the Northeast Muay Thai scene including Andy Singh, Eric Ruiz, Brett Hlavacek, Sean Hinds, and Rigel Balsamico. The local boys will be looking to defend their home turf against formidable opponents such as Ohio’s Ryan Madigan, North Carolina’s Chris Clodfelter, and Arizona’s Thiago Azeredo. Aside from the fights, just the simple fact that the event will be taking place inside one of the most famous venues in sports history is enough to make any Muay Thai/Combat Sports enthusiastic. Probably one of the most enthusiastic about the MSG event finally taking place, is none other than ...

After many days of speculation as to his whereabouts, the ever popular Buakaw Por Pramuk has finally surfaced. A few days ago reports stated that Buakaw had been missing from his camp, allegedly the result of a fall out with his management over the release of his stength & conditioning coach. Other rumors about Buakaw’s disappearance tried to allude to the idea that he had either been kidnapped due to his celebrity in Thailand or that he had run off with a woman. Also there was talk of him being spotted at a nightlcub in Phuket, something which has recently been confirmed as being false. To clarify the ordeal, Buakaw appeared last night on Thai TV and gave an interview concerning his situation. Needless to say, Buakaw has confirmed that he had a disagreement with his camp. Initially, the rumor as to the reason for the disagreement was that it was either due to the camp owing him money or that it was due to the release of his conditioning coach. Buakaw neither confirmed nor denied those claims in the interview. He did say however that a rift had been growing between him and his management for some time. Buakaw also indicated that he thought of retiring in as early as 2009 and that he was tired of being verbally abused and mistreated by his management at Por Pramuk. Apparently there has been some talk of trying to reach an agreement but no progress ...

Although there was not much Muay Thai action taking place stateside this weekend, there was enough action going on worldwide to satiate even the most ravenous Muay Thai appetite. The action did kick off stateside on Friday night as NYC’s Friday Night Fights presented an anticipated fight card headlined by an exciting bout between Joe Valtellini and Shawn Yarborough. The hard-hitting Valtellini who has earned his “Bazooka Joe” moniker by knocking out every one of his previous opponents, added yet another KO win to his now perfect 6-0 record by viciously knocking out Yarborough in the first round. Whoever Valtellini’s next opponent may be has more than enough footage of Joe viciously knocking out opponents with both hands and feet to keep them up at night. Bottomline, Bazooka Joe is a nightmarish fighter and any opponent looking to step in the ring with Joe knows they run a big risk of having their consciousness knocked into another dimension. If Valtellini wasn’t on the radar before, he definitely should be now. He is a threat to any fighter at 165-169, no matter where they are from. In the evenings other two professional attractions, New Jersey’s Ognjen Topic once again showcased why he was MTiL’s breakthrough fighter of 2011 when he used his technical striking and ring smarts to outpoint Missouri based MMA fighter, Josh Sampo en route to a unanimous decision win. Pittsburgh’s Marcus Fisher improved his record to 3-2 as he comfortably outpointed New York’s ...

Just because the Muay Thai action slows down stateside doesn’t mean that it slows down for the rest of the world. Tomorrow, Sunday, March 11th 2012, MTiL cover girl (at least that’s what we call her) Julie Kitchen looks to defend her world title against Holland’s Aleide Lawant. Many of you may have not heard of Lawant, but she is definitely a talented up and coming female Dutch kickboxer that has looked impressive as of late. Both Lawant and Kitchen were favorites to contest the final of the Enfusion reality show finals in Prague but an unintentional headbutt from Canada’s Maria Bastasin, cut Kitchen’s night short. Bastasin advanced to the finals to face Aleide Lawant after Lawant defeated Sweden’s Hanna Mjolberg. Aleide Lawant would go on to win the Enfusion finale and is also coming off a very close decision win over American Lindsay Scheer at the MPL event in the Netherlands. It goes without saying however that Lawant will be facing the stiffest test of her career in Julie Kitchen. Kitchen is a 13x World Champion who uses her height and reach to keep opponents at a distance and break them down with her solid technique. The fight will take place in Julie’s home of Cornwall, England with her students, gym mates, friends, and family cheering her on while Lawant looks to play the part of spoiler. Lawant has a typical hard hitting and aggressive Dutch style so it will be interesting to see how ...

Muay Talk is a series of phone interviews we began at Muay Thai is Life to speak with fighters we might not always be able to reach out to and interview in person. We feel that these phone interviews give you, as fans, an opportunity to learn more about the fighters you follow or look up to and get a small glimpse into their personality and their mind. Sometimes when we interview fighters via Q&A in text-format you don’t get to hear the fighters voice and understand who they are outside the ring and after the final bell has rung. In this installment of Muay Talk we once again catch-up with hard hitting Canadian Muay Thai fighter Simon Marcus to discuss the much talked about fallout following his win over Joe Schilling, an eventual rematch, his upcoming fight with Kaoklai, and his quest to become World Champion. Check out the video/phone interview below!

New York City’s longest running Muay Thai series is back with yet another installment of hard hitting Muay Thai action! Justin Blair and the team at Friday Night Fights are all set and ready to go for tonight’s event which will feature a very anticipated and explosive matchup between the West Coast’s Shawn Yarborough and Canada’s Joseph Valtellini. Yarborough and Valtellini are two fighters that are known for their unrelenting styles and knock out power. Who will prevail in the main event? Will it be the young Canadian who has to come to be known as “Bazooka Joe”. Or will Yarborough give Valtellini his first taste of defeat and represent for the west coast? Whatever happens this is definitely a East Coast vs West Coast match up we are really excited to see! In the co main event of the evening New Jersey-based, Bosnian-born Muay Thai tactician, Ognjen Topic will face off with Missouri MMA practitioner Josh Sampo. Ognjen Topic is a very skilled and technical fighter that is quickly making a name for himself as one of the most exciting prospects in the North American Muay Thai scene. Topic was our 2011 breakthrough fighter of the year for a reason. With his smooth technical style and his accurate striking Topic is definitely a fighter to keep your eye on. Sampo is a talented MMA fighter with a solid record and will definitely bring a pace and style to the Muay Thai ring that ...

Yes, you read that right, Buakaw has disappeared. News of the popular Thai fighters disappearance has been quietly circulating for a couple of days. However, it seems it was limited to local Thai newspapers, most likely in an effort to locate him before having to scrap any major commitments such as his upcoming bout with Fabio Pinca on March 17th in France at “La Nuit Des Titans”. MuaythaiTV.com and the Bangkok Post, recently broke the news that due to Buakaw’s disappearance Buakaw’s bout with Fabio Pinca had to be cancelled as well as a few other commitments the Thai fighter had scheduled for this month. One thing we do have clear is that contrary to some rumors, Buakaw has not been kidnapped or anything of the sort. In fact, his disappearance is self-inflicted. According to Buakaw’s manager, Teerapat Rojanatan, Buakaw has been missing since March 1st. Preliminary reports have stated that Buakaw had a falling out with his gym due to his “physical trainer” being released. Now, it is unclear whether the person these reports are referring to when they say “physical trainer” is Buakaw’s pad holder or his strength & conditioning coach. However, what is certain is that Buakaw left his gym on his own volition, taking off in a new BMW sedan he had purchased. Buakaw’s management initially thought he may have returned to his hometown of Surin, but apparently no one in Surin has seen him. The details of the story are ...

Three solid Muay Thai events took place this weekend across North America, showcasing some of continents rising Muay Thai talent in both the pro and amateur ranks. Two event would talk place almost simultaneously as the Warriors Cup took place in New Jersey and the Journey Fight Series would take place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This Warriors Cup unlike the few previous events, was an all amateur affair featuring rising talent from some of the east coast’s top gyms. The Journey Fight Series also had a great lineup featuring many talented amateurs from across Canada as well as a few pro bouts, one of them pitting California’s Daniel Kim against Calgary’s own Sean “Shotgun” McKinnon and the other being a great matchup between “Nasty” Nate Smandych and Luis David Cruz of Mexico. The very talented Jessica Gladstone was scheduled to fight Celeste Saenz of Mexico, but the bout fell through at the last minute when Celeste was not able to enter Canada due to visa issues. Either way the event went off without any further problems and by all accounts was a resounding success for growing Canadian promotion. On Sunday night, the Muay Thai action turned back to the western United States as the IFS put on what would be there 10th show in the Southern California area. The event, titled “Triple Threat” would feature and interesting new concept titled “Pro-1″ rules whereby competitors would engage in one round of boxing, one round of Muay Thai, and ...

If you haven’t seen Jeff Dojillo’s “Inside the Fight” videos than you are truly missing out on the best series about the U.S. Muay Thai scene, EVER! This week, Jeffrey Dojillo Photography and crew brought us the third episode in their 4-part series highlighting the USA vs Thailand event this past summer. In this episode, the series covers the behind the scenes events leading up to the Kevin Ross vs Sagetdao Petchpayathai match up at M-One’s USA vs Thailand. Check out the video below. Also if you have not seen the rest of the series, check out the videos as well as more of our favorite videos and interviews on the Muay Thai is Life (MTiL) Official Youtube Channel.

As many of us in the North American Muay Thai community know, the fallout from the highly anticipated Joe Schilling vs. Simon Marcus match up at Battle in the Desert 5 has not been pretty. Fans of both parties have been engaged in an all out war of words to protect the integrity of their fighters reputation. Some have said Simon Marcus’ Muay Thai takedown that eventually set Schilling up for the KO that would end his night, was illegal, while others contend that it was a completely legitimate Muay Thai technique. Some of the sports biggest stars have come out defending the technique, stating that while the technique may have appeared illegal it was in fact legitimate or simply fell into a gray area in the sport where sometimes borderline illegal techniques are allowed to slide. However, the consensus among many of the sports finest is that the sport of Muay Thai is about ultimately inflicting damage on your opponent. And when in a fight, anything, even an unfortunate incident such as getting hurt from a fall can ultimately cost you your purse and also your interim title. According to a recent article in Thailand’s Bangkok Post, Schillings loss to Simon Marcus, will now give Marcus the opportunity to challenge Artem “The Lion” Levin for the WBC Light Heavyweight World Title. The event which is tentatively set for June 9th, 2012 in Thailand will feature Jomthong Chuwattana, Saenchai Sor Kingstar and Thai Fight superstar Kem Sitpongseenong. Also ...

If the world does come to an end in December 2012, rest assured that I will die I happy man. While I am sure that my emotional state of being during the end of days will most likely be the last thing on your mind as you attempt to survive the zombie apocalypse, nonetheless if the thought about whether or not I am feeling okay does cross your mind, you can remember these words. 2012, although still in its opening stages, has already given us an incredible amount of Muay Thai action to discuss. We have already seen such highly anticipated match-ups as Fabio Pinca vs Saenchai Sinbimuaythai 2 and Simon Marcus vs Joe Schilling. On March 17th, Fabio Pinca will step back in the ring to face off with yet another of Thailand’s top nakmuays and this time it will be none other than the ever popular Buakaw Por Pramuk. Both fighters have looked incredibly solid and in top form since last year. Pinca is coming off a controversial but still commendable win over Muay Thai tactician Saenchai Sinbimuaythai, while Buakaw is coming off a win over Dzhabar Askerov. Buakaw has looked in top form as of late, however aside from Askerov, Buakaw has not fought a formidable opponent in sometime, and certainly not a fighter of Pinca’s caliber. And although Pinca has looked very dangerous recently, Khem Sitsongpeenong still reminded many that Pinca did have some flaws in his game as he outpointed the ...

Usually a knockout or a decisive win is enough to put an end to a discussion. Most of the time when two prizefighters engage in back and forth banter, the end to all the talk is decided in what has happened in the confines of the ring. However, when the doors of The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas were locked, the lights dimmed, and the roar of the crowd a distant memory, many people still had too many questions left unanswered. In Battle of the Desert 5′s highly anticipated main event, Canada’s Simon Marcus put an end to all the pre-fight banter with a series of knockdowns that started with a now controversial Muay Thai dump, a nasty hook, and finally, a teep to Joe Schilling‘s face followed by a vicious elbow. In the first few moments of the bout, Schilling started a bit slower than most of his fans are accustomed too. While every one of Schilling’s strikes was still thrown with every bit of evil and destructive intention we are used to seeing from the LA based fighter, the strikes did little to phase the seemingly calm and collected Toronto native in Simon Marcus. By the middle of the opening round neither fighter had seemed to gain an upper hand or cause much damage, save for a little swelling under Marcus’ eye from a well placed Schilling punch. However, in a scramble that played out in the clinch, Simon executed a ...

By now you should already know that I am a huge fan of Dutch Kickboxing and pretty much anything coming out of the Netherlands, including but not limited to pannekoeken, which is the Dutch variation of Pancakes. They are so incredibly delicious that the Beastie Boys even referenced them in their song, “Super Disco Breakin” with the line, “When I am in Holland, I eat the pannekoeken”. Other things that I love about Holland are wooden shoes, tulips, windmills, the Edam and Gouda variety of cheeses which come from the Dutch cities of the same name, their local HERBS and spices, and of course their propensity and talent to dish out pretty brutal beat downs on any and all potential opponents that call their Muay Thai and Kickboxing prowess into question. With that said, I’m really excited to announce the “Nederland vs. Thailand” Lineup for the upcoming Slamm show scheduled for May 27th in Amsterdam. Slamm has definitely always been one of my favorite promotions because of the fact that they always look to have the best fighters from Holland and Thailand square off, thereby having the two top Muay Thai nations face off against each other in a battle of national pride but with the respect the sport deserves. When Slamm stopped putting on shows a few years back, I feared the worst…I covered my room in old Slamm posters, bought myself a 6 pack of Amstel Light (Light because I’m trying to watch the pounds), and played “We ...

As you should have heard by now, pint-sized American Muay Thai sensation, Romie Adanza scored a 2nd round TKO victory over Tomonori Sato in Japan this past weekend to become the WBC Super Flyweight International title holder. Neither fighter had really edged out the other after Round 1, but in Round 2 Adanza landed a quick elbow that opened a deep cut on Tomonori Sato’s forehead, prompting the referee to stop the fight and have the doctors take a look at the Japanese fighters cut. The doctor felt the cut was much to deep to allow the fight to continue and thus Adanza walked away with the W. Although the fight didn’t allow Adanza to showcase his exciting style to the Japanese fans, it nonetheless was a brilliant victory for the exciting American fighter who continues to rise up the ranks internationally. Also on the card, Japanese fighter Tetsuya Yamato snapped a two-fight losing streak with a 1st round knockout victory over former Lumpinee Stadium champion Densiam Lookprabaht. Yamato landed a big left hook that floored the Thai, prompting the referee to give him a standing 8 count. Although Lookprabaht was back on his feet, Yamato wasn’t about to let the Thai off the hook. Yamato rushed the Thai and floored him once again, this time for good as the ref waved off the fight. Here are the results from the rest of the NJKF’s Kick to the Future event: Tetsuya Yamato def. Densiam Lookprabaht by KO ...

By Galen Okazaki On February 25, 2012, Tiffany VanSoest will climb into the ring at Lion Fight Promotion’s Battle of the Desert 5 at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas. She’ll be looking to improve her professional Muay Thai record to 2-0 as she takes on Vivian Leung who currently owns a 2-0 record. While fighting is her current vocation, more than anything else Tiffany VanSoest is an athlete and self diagnosed adrenaline junkie. Her athletic career began at the tender age of five when she kicked her first soccer ball. She continued to play soccer for club teams throughout grade school and junior high and for a championship team in high school. While in high school, Tiffany also found time to pole vault. She ended up being a league champion and she set a school record that was only very recently broken. As for soccer, she continued to play for two more years at the college level for a nationally ranked team (Cal State San Marcos). The only reason she stopped playing soccer was so that she could focus on her fight training. Along the way she also played basketball, baseball, golf and she has also been a lifelong surfer. In light of all of this, how did she become interested in fighting you ask? *Ahem* turtles…as in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Watching the Ninja Turtles as a child, Tiffany knew she had to learn a martial art and was finally able to talk her parents into letting her enroll in a karate ...

Both Petchatsawin Seatransferry and Jingretong Seatransferry are hard at work preparing for their upcoming fights here in Thailand. These two young fighters hail from Krabi, Thailand and fight out of Sangmorakot Gym in Bangkok, Thailand. They took on the last name of ‘Seatransferry’ because of the town they grew up in. Petchatsawin is coming off a 3rd round KO loss to Singmanee Kaewsamrit at the last Isuzu Cup 22 event held at Omnoi Stadium in late January of this year. On March 11th, he will be taking on another talented fighter in Ekqusung Gorloongthanagiat in the very same ring he previously suffered the KO loss in. I had a chance to catch up with Petchatsawin while he was training for his next big fight at Omnoi. Here are some photos of Petchatsawin preparing for the March 11th bout.       Jingretong Seatransferry recently won his last fight via a TKO in the 3rd round. This Thailand rising star will look to maintain his previous success as he takes on current Rajadamnern Stadium champion, Kongsiam Thorpitdtakchai on February 20th at Rajadamnern Stadium. Here are some additional photos of Jingretong preparing for his fight at Rajadamnern.          

It has been about one week since I arrived in Thailand and started filming the Muaythai Journal documentary. And it has proven to be a very productive – and at times stressful – seven days. Going into this project I knew that I would become familiar with all elements of Muaythai, both good and bad. There were times where I had to remind myself of why I chose to take on this project in the first place. I was awoken to the notion that back in the west, we tend to have this grandiose idea about Muaythai; that everything done here in Thailand is performed solely for the love of the sport. However, as I have moved through the culture of Muaythai and talked with people from different arenas in Thai life, I have come to learn that just like back home, corruption and politics have their place here also. Although, I am not here to discuss nor focus on the negative side of the sport. Things like that will exist any and everywhere a profit is to be made. The reason I started this was to shed light on the social dynamics of Muaythai; the life behind the fight. So that is what I will be focusing on. Behind every fighter, behind every gym, there are stories to be told, lessons to be learned. Due to my Thai being equivalent to that of a grammar school child, I’ve had to hire a translator. This has led me to believe that even long after filming ...

If you haven’t heard all of the back and forth trash talking going on between American Muay Thai buzzsaw Joe Schilling and Canadian “Bad Bwoy” Simon Marcus in the lead up to their much anticipated clash on February 25th in Las Vegas, then I have to wonder what you are even doing calling yourself a Muay Thai fan. These two guys have gone out full force to rile each other up, even going as far as putting their full fight purses on the line in an effort to make this fight even more attractive to the fans. It is a definite winner takes all bout where the victor not only takes the win, the bragging rights, and the respect, but also walks away with all the dough. While some people may not be the biggest fans of trash talking and feel that Muay Thai in the U.S. should emulate the respect and camaraderie shown in Thailand, there are others who see nothing wrong with a little back and forth banter before the fight in order to make things a little more interesting. In my opinion, both of these guys have kept things relatively civil. And as Simon Marcus will tell you in MTiL’s exclusive phone interview with him about the fight, it’s really all about two stand up guys feeling confident enough in their abilities to lay it all out in the ring. Neither Joe or Simon are taking this fight lightly and they both realize that the next ...

Before there was Its Showtime, Lion Fight Promotions, M-One, or the MPL, the absolute top dog in the world of Full Muay Thai rules promotion was without out a doubt Slamm! In their previous 6 events, Slamm allowed us to witness the mind melting match ups that wear Tyrone Spong vs Kaoklai, Andy Souwer vs Yodsaenklai, Saenchai vs Fabio Pinca I, Anuwat Kaewsamrit vs Mosab Amrani, Orono Wor Petchpun vs Willaim Diender, Bovy Sor Udomsorn vs Faldir Chabari, and many more! In my opinion, outside of the Thais, the Dutch are the best in kickboxing and Muay Thai, and it would be honestly hard to argue otherwise. I’m a huge Dutch kickboxing fan and was besides myself with excitement when I caught wind that the absolute badassery that is Slamm’s Holland vs Thailand events were making a comeback. On May 27th, 2012, the new and improved Slamm will return with their 7th installment of the Holland vs Thailand series! And as was always customary with every Slamm event, the amount of talent and firepower they will bring along is second to none. So without further ado, here are just a few of the fighters that are scheduled to step into the ring at Slamm VII. FIGHTERS: Mootje Khamal Miles Simon Pornsane Sitmonchai Ilias el Hajoui Bovy Sor Udomsorn Anthony Kane William Diender Nonsai Sor Sanyakorn Giga Chikadze Saiyok Pumphanmuang Nieky Holzken Faldir Chabari And so far these are just a few of the names that will probably appear on this card. As Muay Thai continues to grow here in the U.S. and worldwide. ...

Few things that are described as “epic” these days are truly worthy of being called so. Unfortunately, in this day in age the term is overused to make what are mostly trivial events seem massive and much more important than they truly are. When looking at the definition of the word epic, the dictionary tells us that it is both an adjective and a noun. As a noun, epic is defined as a “long poetic composition, usually centered upon a hero, in which a series of great achievements or events is narrated in elevated style.” When I think of the word epic, it conjures up memories of my high school days when I was required to read Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey, stories that told of great adventures whose heroes possessed superhuman abilities and engaged often times in glorious battles. In Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy, our hero Dante, travels through the 3 realms of the dead. He sees the horrors of hell and the indifference of purgatory guided by the ancient roman poet (and author of an epic himself titled Aeneid) Virgil before finally meeting with Beatrice (his perfect woman) and venturing to the nine realms of Heaven before meeting the Triune God. Yes…ornate, lengthy, and powerful stuff. Everything we associate with the word epic. As an adjective, the word epic is used to describe something, either an event or an object, that is massive, impressive, and/or great, majestic, and often heroic. It is with this definition ...

The Building of Lion Fight Promotions by Galen Okazaki The year 2011 is now generally recognized as the biggest year in American Muay Thai to date. The quality of the shows and the talent on display (both US and International) were unprecedented. Much of the success of 2011 can be attributed to the meteoric rise of the newly launched Las Vegas based Muay Thai fight promoter, Lion Fight Promotions. With their four headline events last year they were able showcase many of the top American fighters as well as a number of highly ranked international fighters. Now at their new venue, The Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas, with their stacked February 25th (2012) fight card headlined by a Joe Schilling vs Simon Marcus main event, they are continuing their upward momentum into this year. From my years of corporate experience, I know that success stories like these are not simply a result of luck, they require hard work and most importantly a vision. I sat down with Scott Kent, the President and CEO of Lion Fight Promotions to find out more about how together with former professional Muay Thai fighter, Christine Toledo, they were able to make this vision come true. Scott Kent has been a long time business executive in Las Vegas. He has also trained in Muay Thai (both here and in Thailand) for a number of years and he has developed a great passion for it. In the late 2000’s he was doing some consulting work for a hotel, booking boxing ...

Muay Thai is Life was once again on hand in NYC to show support to our good friends at Take On Productions as they presented “Battle at the 7 Train XI”. Regardless of the pro main event between Sean Hinds and Turan Hasanov being scrapped because Hasanov was unable to submit his medicals on time, the show went on and the all amateur event once again showcased exceptional talent on par with the growing quality of Muay Thai nationwide. While I was busy capturing video for an upcoming project exclusively for Muay Thai is Life, our good friend Bauzen, who you may know from his contributions to Middleeasy.com and as well as his photos that we occasionally showcase here, was busy once again capturing all the Muay Thai action from the evening. Below are the full results of Take On’s “Battle at the 7 Train XI” and a gallery featuring some of Bauzen’s images from the event. RESULTS: Gio Mercado def. Anthony Santiago by TKO (Ref Stoppage) in Rd. 2 Ulbino Guzman def. Manny Sosa by TKO (Low Kicks) in Rd. 3 Tim Schmeier def. Bobby Slavin by Unanimous Decision Angie Babel def. Naomi Sangkavasi by Unanimous Decision Lauren Feldman def. Molli Barg by Unanimous Decision Cornell Ward def. Justin Troy by TKO (Unable to answer bell before Rd. 3) SEMI-FINALS of RISING STARS 155 LB. TOURNAMENT: Freddy Cheung def. Akio Nakasone by Split Decision Andrilo Suarez def. James Gregory by Unanimous Decision *Both fighters move on to the finals of the tournament which will take place at Take On Productions ...

On Friday, January 27th, Take On Productions once again heads to their usual stomping grounds at the 7 Train Theater in Flushing, Queens for what will be their 11th event at the now infamous Queens establishment. The evenings fight card will feature an exciting line-up starring some of the grittiest and most talented young amateur fighters in the Tri-State area, as well as an anticipated pro main event clash between Sean Hinds and Turan “The Tornado” Hasanov. Hasanov, who recently ruffled a few feathers out on the West Coast by calling out Chaz Mulkey, will have to get by the very tough and crafty veteran in Sean Hinds first before he can step in the ring with the likes of Mulkey. Mulkey and his crew however have made it clear that they would not be opposed to a Mulkey and Hasanov match-up down the line. We shall of course see what the future holds. The Take On event, slated for tomorrow, Friday January 27th will, without a doubt, be another firecracker of a show and will be broadcast via GFL.tv, so make sure to check out all the action! Usually, Muay Thai is Life is on hand at every Take On event to provide GFL.tv viewers with the ringside commentary. However, on this occasion, we will be heading to NYC once again but to take pics of some the action and take a few videos. Either way you can expect some great content about Take ...

So much has been said already about Lion Fight Promotions upcoming “Battle in the Desert “5 event on February 25th, that as a newly coined “Muay Thai Journalist”, I have found it difficult to conjure up anything new and exciting to bring to the masses that hasn’t otherwise already been said somewhere on the “internetz”. And just whenIi thought I was fresh out of new ideas, MTiL’s intrepid West Coast director, Galen Okazaki calls me up and tells me that he is heading to The Yard in Los Angeles to snap a couple of training pictures of Joe “Stich’Em Up” Schilling and do a short interview with him. My reaction to such news can best be described by using Charlie “Tiger Blood” Sheen’s now iconic phrase: “Winning!” So with all that said, below you will find our most recent interview with Joe Schilling as he discusses his upcoming fight with Canada’s Simon Marcus and responds to some of the things Marcus said in his interview with Greg Boasberg at Totalmuaythai.com Needless to say, as our good friend and contributor John Wolcott indicated on our MTiL Facebook Page (Like Us!)that “if you guys aren’t excited about this fight, you might not have a pulse!”. Well said, John, well said. Echoing, John’s sentiments, this truly is going to be, not only one of the biggest and most anticipated bouts this year, but the entire card of Lion Fight Promotions “Battle in the Desert 5″ is going to be, up until now, the year’s ...

Shawn Yacoubian, Peter Cunningham and Ricardo O’Kane will be hosting the Johnny Hovnanian Memorial Fund Seminar on January 28th, 2012 at Mark Parra’s House of Champions in Van Nuys, California. The two-hour seminar requires a minimum donation of $30 dollars to attend and all proceeds will benefit the Johnny Hovnanian Memorial Fund. Johnny Hovnanian was not only a close personal friend to pro fighter Shawn Yacoubian but also served as his corner and right hand man during most of Yacoubian’s pro career. Yacoubian, who is a former U.S. IKKC Champion will be teaching the seminar alongside former champion Ricardo O’Kane and 7-time undefeated world Kickboxing champion, Peter Cunningham. Originally from Canada, Peter retired from kickboxing in the late 90′s after amassing an impressive record of 50 wins 0 losses and 1 draw. Because of his quick and technical kicking prowess, Cunningham was given the nickname, “Sugarfoot”. If you are in the Southern California area, do not miss out on this chance to train alongside a couple of the sports top talents while also helping to raise funds for a fallen friend of our sport.

By Eric Rivera As I was reading through a few forums this month, I realized that many people had differing opinions on what they felt were the top fights and/or fighters of this past year. I for one have never agreed with rankings or awards compiled by sports blogs because unless you are a sanctioning organization or large promotion, ranking fighters and or fights is entirely subjective. Many times such rankings are made based on who our favorite fighters are, whether or not we train at their gyms, or favoritism due to ties to a specific region and/or country. With that said I decided I wanted to compile a list of my own to point out what an amazing year 2011 was for Muay Thai, especially in the U.S. which is where MTiL is based. So here is my own list of the top fights, fighters, and KO’s of 2011 as well as a few comments about each. These thoughts are of course my own and don’t reflect the thoughts of everyone on the MTiL staff, so if you agree or disagree, feel free to leave a comment on the post below or head to our Official Facebook Page and drop us a line there. Breakthrough fighter of the Year (U.S.) – Ognjen Topic The Bosnian born Topic made his pro debut in 2011 and save for a very controversial decision loss to Anthony Castrejon made an impressive run that included two stoppages due to elbow strikes. Topic fights out ...

KMT Promotions based in Tampa, Florida has just announced that the second installment of their Tampa Fight Night series is scheduled for Friday, March 16th in, well… where else…Tampa, Florida. MTiL (Muay Thai is Life), as you should know by now, is based in Florida and Khanomtom Muay Thai a.k.a. Tampa Muay Thai (the gym behind KMT Fight Promotions) has long been one of the true authentic Muay Thai gyms in the sunshine state. Home to professional fighters Ray Cole and Alex Berrios (who is preparing for his bout with Travis Lechern next weekend January 20th, 2012 at Friday Night Fights as we speak), Tampa Muay Thai has always been on the front lines in the attempt to promote Muay Thai in the MMA-saturated state that is Florida. Having brought in some of the biggest names in Thai boxing such as Jongsanan Fairtex & Attachai Fairtex to conduct seminars, the next logical step in Tampa Muay Thai’s goal of bringing real Muay Thai to Florida was to begin promoting Muay Thai events of their own. As you may or may not recall, Muay Thai is Life was at the inaugural “Tampa Fight Night” event this past October. Needless to say it was an exciting event that brought out many of Florida’s local Muay Thai gyms and their fighters, in order to showcase local Muay Thai talent and help build the sport. Always looking to keep things authentic, KMT Promotions gave all fighters on the card the opportunity to perform the ...

Muay Thai is Life’s Galen Okazaki traveled to Muay Thai America Gym in North Hollywood, California to snap a couple of pics of rising Muay Thai star Sheldon Gaines as he prepares for his bout with Scotty Leffler at the upcoming Battle in the Desert 5 event set for February 25th. If the previous installments of the Battle in The Desert series didn’t convince you that Lion Fight Promotions is probably one, if not THE top, Muay Thai promotion in the Unites States then the rumored card for their upcoming show should finally set you straight. Not only will the card feature the young and athletic Gaines who, as we have all seen from this infamous photo, has ups that would make Blake Griffin blush; but it will also feature probably the biggest star in the current American Muay Thai landscape, Joe Schilling. Schilling will be facing arguably his toughest test to date as he squares off with highly regarded Canadian nakmuay, Simon Marcus. In addition a rubber match between Coke Chunhawat and WMC North American Champion, Matt Embree, is also rumored to be part of the evenings excitement. Below are a few of the other match-ups currently in the works for Battle in the Desert 5 and the gallery of Sheldon Gaines doing his thing as he gets ready for Scotty Leffler. Additional Match-ups: Chaz Mulkey vs. Gregory Choplin Kit Cope vs. Jose Palacios Vivian Leung vs. Tiffany Van Soest Anthony Castrejon vs. Francisco Barragan

Considering that today is Christmas Eve and I have enough food to feed a small army waiting for me at the various family gatherings I have to attend before midnight, I am making it a point to make this update as short and as sweet as possible. Michael Chase Corley and Cyrus Washington may not end their year with the big wins they wanted but they definitely went out and made sure people remembered their names by facing two of the top fighters in the world. By all accounts Michael Chase Corley gave Marco Pique everything he could handle in what was the first Full Muay Thai rules bout in Suriname’s history. Marco Pique, who was fighting in front of his home crowd, was no doubt looking to put away the American for the fans, but Corley put up a great fight and made further headway into getting his name known worldwide. The final decision wouldn’t go Corley’s way but he put on a good performance worthy of being considered a worthy representative of America’s growing Muay Thai talent. Nieky Holzken, who has been on a tear as of late, showed no signs of slowing down as he stopped American Cyrus Washington after a cut caused by a knee put a stop to the fight in Round 2. Holzken was in control of the fight throughout but Washington, as always, continues to show no fear in facing the top guys in the world and learning from his experiences ...

Our good friends at Jeff Dojillo Photography have decided that they would give all Muay Thai fanatics a sneak peak into their upcoming “Into The Fight: USA vs. Thailand” documentary tonight at 9:00 PM. Needless to say they are giving all nakmuays and Muay Thai fans an early Christmas gift by releasing the trailer below on the night before Christmas…how’s that for a stocking stuffer?! If you haven’t seen the original “Into the Fight” series of interviews featuring Romie Adanza, Kevin Ross, and Joe Schilling, you can see them on Muay Thai is Life’s official Youtube channel, Jeff Dojillo Photography’s official Youtube channel, or at www.insidethefight.tv. Below is the official press release by Jeff Dojillo himself about what you all can expect from the documentary. After reading the press release, check out the exclusive trailer below and a few stills provided to us exclusively by Jeff Dojillo Photography. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Inside the Fight to release the documentary: USA vs. Thailand The first of four episodes of Inside the Fight documenting the full effect of Thai Boxing in the USA will be released in early January 2012. Los Angeles, CA December 21, 2011 Thai boxing and its surrounding lifestyle and culture now have a media outlet that provides audiences an opportunity to see professional Thai Boxers in a new light. The producers of Inside the Fight have devoted countless hours to producing a high quality documentary for the fans of the sport, and to create awareness for Thai Boxing as a whole. The official ...

Tomorrow (OR tonight depending on when you read this) is the “Klaar Om Te Bossen 3″ event in Paramaribo, Suriname. One of our readers had asked me what exactly the title of the event meant and I was sad to tell him that I didn’t know because my Dutch is pretty much rusty, or in other words non-existent. After using Google translate and a few other online translation services, all indications pointed to it meaning “Ready to Forest”, which I’m sure you would all agree had to be incorrect. I then remembered that my good friend Krystal happens to be from Suriname and would surely point me in the right direction. Anyway, she informed me that the phrase was in Surinamese-Dutch and actually meant “Ready to Blow!”, which made a lot more sense. So for the reader out there that was asking, you now know what “Klaar Om Te Bossen” means. Also, I might add that Krystal recommended that people who are interested in Surinamese cuisine try saoto, whatever that is. I’m sure it’s delicious. With that said, the “Klaar Om Te Bossen” event will feature a few big bouts such as those featuring kickboxing superstars Nieky Holzken and Marco Pique facing off against Americans Cyrus Washington and Michael Chase Corley. An important thing to highlight is that not only is the bout between Marco Pique and Michael Chase Corley a Full Muay Thai rules fight, it is the first Full Muay Thai rules bout in ...

Earlier this week (Monday, December 19th) a few of the fighters from the recent season of The Challenger Muaythai competed at the I-1 Grand Slam in Hong Kong. Two of the reality show’s participants, Vuyisile Colossa and Ilya Grad, would compete in the 4-man tournament scheduled to headline the event. Also featured on the card would be another Challenger Muay Thai participant, Jason Woodham, who would face off against Thailand’s Santichai Or Boonchuay in a superfight. Other fighters of note that would take part in the evenings action were Germany’s Valdet Gashi, Thailand’s M-100 Sitpholek, and Greece’s Pavlos Kaponis, to name a few. Victor and Antonine Pinto were scheduled to fight on the card but were pulled from the event when disagreements arose between I-1 Promoter Kim Ip and the Pinto’s manager (and father), Serge Pinto. In the end, South Africa’s Vuyisile Colossa would come out as the evenings 4-man tournament champion as he bested Greece’s Pavlos Kaponis by TKO (Cut) in the semi-final of the tournament and defeated Israel’s Ilya Grad by unanimous decision to secure the overall win. Ilya Grad earned his way into the finals when he defeated Thailand’s M-100 Sitpholek by unanimous decision in their semi-final bout. In the evenings superfights, Challenger Muaythai star and Englishman, Jason Woodham earned a split decision win over multiple time I-1 Grand Prix champion Santichai Or Boonchuay. Germany’s Valdet Gashi didn’t fare as well, as he lost a unanimous decision to Thailand’s Teelek Fantasy. And in the ...

Before I get to the rest of the article, can I just say that I was blown away by how ridiculously amazing WBC International Champion Jemyma Betrian looks in the poster for the “Klaar Om Te Bossen 3″ event which will be held this Friday, December 23rd in Paramaribo, Suriname? I seriously wish I could be on this card just to share the card with her. Anyway, roughly over a year and a half ago I was given a chance to fight in Suriname alongside now professional American female Muay Thai standout Lindsay Scheer. Now, I travel to South America regularly because my family is originally from Colombia, but what I found upon arriving to Suriname was that it is a country unlike any other on the South American continent. A former Dutch colony, Suriname is home to a very diverse group of people consisting of descendants of African slaves and Chinese, Javanese, and Indian immigrants. Aside from Dutch, the people of Suriname speak a variety of different languages, the most important being a creole language called Sranan Tongo. “Fawaka”, which means “what’s up”, was the only bit of Sranan Tongo I was able to pick up before I was knocked into an alternate state of consciousness by Dutch-Surinamese fighter, Jairzinho “Bigi Boi” Rozenstruik. But what I came away with from the whole experience was that Suriname is a haven of Muay Thai and Kickboxing passion that has slipped under the radar for most of the world. ...

It’s been both a blessing and a curse that the sport of Muay Thai has grown so much in the last 2-3 years. A blessing because more and more casual fans are becoming aware of what all of you and myself have known for many years; And that is the fact that Muay Thai is the greatest combat sport mankind has ever created! However, it has also been a curse but those reasons are far more selfish. And that is because I find it harder and harder to balance writing and covering the sheer amount of Muay Thai events going on around the world with something I like to call…life. However, the crack-like addiction I have to this sport will always have me searching for the next fix of Muay Thai action. And my dedication to bringing the world of Muay Thai to the masses will see me continue on in this quest to bring the sport closer to all of you that embrace it as much as I do! With that said, this past weekend graced Muay Thai fans of all calibers with a chance to witness great 8 point striking action. On Friday, Dec. 16th, Muay Thai is Life was once again invited to cover Take On’s latest Muay Thai event in New York City. The “Rising Stars” 155 lb. 8-man tournament event was an all amateur and B-Class amateur affair that showcased some of the best rising talent in the northeast. Having attended many a ...

When it comes to North American Muay Thai badassery, names such as Kevin Ross, Joe Schilling, Ky Hollenbeck, Chaz Mulkey etc…come to mind. But for every Chaz Mulkey, Gabriel Varga, Rami Ibrahim, or Justin Greskiewicz…their are hundreds of young unknown fighters putting in work everyday to make it to the top and follow in the footsteps of their favorite fighters and Muay Thai idols. While other media outlets may choose to completely ignore amateur Muay Thai coverage (for whatever asinine reason), at MTL we realize that the only way to continually improve on the stock of nakmuay’s coming out of North America is to give the young, up and coming talent a chance to shine, a chance to showcase their skills, and a chance to at least at one moment or another become the center of attention. Whether they are fighting on the under card of a Lion Fight Promotions event, or at Friday Night Fights, or as part of the under card at a Warrior’s Cup event, amateur fighters are there not only to gain experience, but also to show case their love for the sport and help it grow in America. The only way Muay thai will grow in America is if we, as real fans and media, support the Muay Thai movement wherever it takes place, whether that be a smoker event at your nearest Muay Thai gym or a major event at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. Yesterday, MTL’s Galen Okazaki wrote a great piece about ...

In late July, Thailand began to experience some of the worst flooding it had seen in half a century. As the rains poured down due to an already overactive Monsoon season; a tropical storm over Northern Vietnam and the effects of La Niña only further exacerbated the situation, allowing no time for already inadequate drainage systems to help dissipate the flood waters. A more sophisticated drainage system in and around Bangkok had previously made the Thai capital pretty much impervious to flooding. However, as the rains did not let up, flood waters began to creep into the outskirts of the city. As flood waters approached from the north, the small suburban town of Salaya would be the northern wall protecting the capital from flooding…but eventually the small town was simply no match for the forces of nature. Like many other suburbs around Bangkok, Salaya is the home of a small Muay Thai gym where young Thai fighters work hard day in and day out to become stars in Bangkok’s stadiums in order to, hopefully, one day make some money to support their families. Families that were most likely gravely affected by the flooding concentrated in Northern Thailand. The name of this small gym is Kiatphontip. Kiatphontip is owned and operated by our friend Rob Cox. For many in the Muay Thai community, Rob Cox is widely considered to be the true authority on the Muay Thai scene in Thailand and around the world. During my first trip to Thailand, Rob ...

It really is no secret that NYC’s Take On Productions has been grinding hard, making moves, and is one of the fastest growing Muay Thai promotions in the country. When critics pointed their fingers at the NYC Muay Thai scene and declared that New York fighters were either afraid or didn’t know how to fight Full Thai Rules; Take On Productions was one of only two promotions in the Tri-State area that silenced the critics by staging some truly impressive and highly anticipated Full Thai Rules events in the more elbow-friendly neighboring state of New Jersey. When other promotions could only dream of partnering up with sports entertainment empires like Madison Square Garden and MSG Sports, the boys at Take On have actually put their nose to the grind and made it happen, as MSG Sports has already partnered with Take On on two occasions. And while Muay Thai still has a ways to go before attaining the mainstream exposure all of us die hard nakmuays would like it to have, Take On has been one of those promotions doing big things to promote the sport not only on the east coast, but in the U.S. On the heels of their successful Atlantic City venture in the form of “Battle at Bally’s”, Take On Productions heads back to their original stomping grounds in Flushing, Queens for another stellar night of Muay Thai action. Now, as some of you may know, I have been lucky enough to be selected by the gentleman ...

Lion Fight Promotions succeeded in delivering yet another exciting night of Muay Thai action with Saturday night’s “Battle in the Desert 4″. The promotion upgraded from staging its events on the California/Nevada state line in Primm, Nevada by moving it’s exciting event into Las Vegas proper at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The event presented a cornucopia of elbows, kicks, spinning back fists, superman punches, and flying knees. The action was pretty much non stop from the opening Amateur bout featuring Genesis Bravo and Pixie O’Reilly to the main event title match up between Chaz Mulkey and Simon Chu. In the first pro match up of the evening, Cassie Trost made her professional debut against the Canadian, Las Vegas resident Vivian Leung. Vivian found her rhythm early as she definitely looked the stronger of the two in the clinch and peppered her opponent with well placed knees. The first round was a slower paced feeling out period as usual but as the second round began the fight pretty much turned into the Vivian Leung show as she opened up with powerful punch and kick combinations, as well as some very nasty knees in the clinch. In round 3 Leung landed a big knee to the body that left Trost hurt. As round 4 began, Leung came alive constantly pressuring the backpedaling Trost. Leung looked to end the fight and a flurry of strikes combined with a vicious knee granted her her wish as Trost dropped once again ...

The return of Kit Cope was not to be. I can’t say I’m not disappointed by the latest news that Kit Cope was not granted a license to fight for this Saturday’s “Battle in the Desert 4″ card. We haven’t heard any details as to why Cope wasn’t given a license to fight, but this isn’t the first time Cope has had issues with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. As some of you may recall, Cope tested positive for steroids following his submission loss to “Razor” Rob McCullough at the WEC in 2007. Now while I doubt Cope was denied a license due to an issue with banned substances, his absence from “Battle in the Desert 4″ leaves us all with question regarding how the charismatic nakmuay turned MMA fighter would fare in a return to the Muay Thai ring. As I mentioned in my lead-up article to “Battle in the Desert 4″, Cope is still relatively young enough to have another go at Muay Thai contendership. With a 23-1 Muay Thai record, Cope was no slouch when it came to fighting in the science of 8 limbs. And with a personality that you will either love to hate or hate to love coupled with the fact that Cope has already enjoyed some mainstream TV exposure, Cope stepping into the ring would definitely put some butts in seats. The minds at Lion Fight Promotions most likely had the same thought process when they booked Cope to fight the up ...

The holiday season definitely seems to be upon us. Being the Muay Thai journalist I claim to be, I usually scour the internet and various social media sites to see what is being said about upcoming Muay Thai events, bouts, fighters, etc…but November has so far been quite a slow month for Muay Thai chatter. This doesn’t mean there hasn’t been an abundance of events for Muay Thai fans to drool over, after all the MPL did once again put on some exceptional fights at the start of the month and for Kickboxing fans we saw Giorgio Petrosyan come back from an injury to win a majority decision over a very interesting prospect in Zeben Diaz. Being a site based in the U.S. however, it seems as if the U.S. Muay Thai contingent has been gearing up for the holiday season and has been a little quiet in regards to their Muay Thai fervor. But before you sit in front of your computers on Cyber Monday and spend countless amounts of money you don’t have on things you probably don’t need, make sure you check out Lion Fight Promotions “Battle in the Desert 4″! When it comes to Muay Thai promotions in the U.S. there are a handful of fight promotions that are coming up and representing the sport of Muay Thai incredibly well. But if we were to compare them all based on the sheer implications and anticipation of the bouts on their cards, Lion Fight Promotions “Battle in the Desert” ...

Muay Thai is Life’s official apparel brand, Dynasty Collective, just received a new stock of their official “Muay Thai is Life” t-shirt! The funny thing is you would think that the “Muay Thai is Life” shirt was made with us in mind but you would be wrong. The design was actually created long before our official website ever existed but now the t-shirt has become synonymous with our site and our supporters. However, the idea behind both our site and the design was that to all of us here at Muay Thai is Life, Muay Thai has always gone far beyond just being a sport. We don’t report on the sport in hopes of making money, nor do we possibly claim to be able to cover every single event out there, what we do hope to do is shed some light on this beautiful and growing sport. We want to shed light on the fighters behind the fight, after and before the bell. Who they are and why they have chosen this path. Muay Thai is bigger than just one site, fighter, promoter, or promotion. For all of us that take this sport seriously, Muay Thai is a huge part of our every day lives…from the friends we have down to the clothes we rock…so check out Dynasty Collective‘s stuff, and represent the Muay Thai life!

This past weekend, the fighters that take part in the juggernaut of a promotion that is the Muaythai Premier League, traveled to the land of tulips, wooden shoes, giant wheels of cheese, coffee shops that aren’t really known for their coffee, and big & tall people that can kick a lot of ass! Yes, I’m talking about that wonderful freedom loving nation known as the Netherlands. Every time I hear someone talk about the Netherlands, I am reminded of a skit by comedian and Arrested Development star David Cross. Discussing 9/11, he rebuked the claim that the terrorists hated America because of our “freedom” and argued that they hate us rather for our foreign policy choices over the years. He backed up his claim by adding that, “if the terrorists really hated ‘freedom’ then the Netherlands would have been f$@#ing dust!” Not that I want to get in any sort of political discussion but the man does have a point but more important is the point he makes about how awesome Holland is. I love the Dutch, just as much as I love the Thais, mostly due to both cultures affinity for punching, kicking, kneeing, and elbowing people in the face! But I also love the Dutch because they seem to enjoy all of the finer things in life such as: natural herbal remedies, good cheese, good beer, and of course, one of the world’s favorite pastimes…SOCCER! Yes, soccer! I know where your minds were going so don’t sit there and ...

As you all should know by know, I am a huge Kickboxing fan. Well, obviously I’m a huge fan of any sport in which two people hit each other in the face and kick each other in the head. I’m a simple man with simple tastes and I find that Kickboxing and Muay Thai satisfy those simple needs. It’s a simple sport to understand yet contains very elegant and complex underlying techniques that take years of practice and/or study for anyone to truly appreciate. Giorgio Petrosyan is simply one of those fighters that understands all of this sport’s complexities and executes all of its techniques with absolute perfection. Petrosyan is so good at what he does that he makes all Kickboxing techniques seem absolutely effortless. He systematically breaks fighters down, yet looks like he has barely broken a sweat while doing so. In Muay Thai, fighters like Buakaw Por Pramuk and Saenchai Sinbimuaythai come to mind as they are two of many fighters that make Thai boxing look much to easy. Subsequently, they also make many of the seasoned fighters who face them look like novices. In the world of Kickboxing (K-1, Its Showtime, Dutch Kickboxing) Giorgio Petrosyan is their equivalent. The only kink in Petrosyan’s armor, seems to be his ability to break his own hand on everyone of his opponent’s head and/or faces. He seems to injure his hand in pretty much everyone of his fights as of late, the most recent ...

Jose Palacios is a rising Muay Thai star with a current professional Muay Thai record of 5-2. He is currently on a 3 fight win streak that includes some very impressive KO’s and incredible overall performances. I had the pleasure of seeing Palacios compete a couple of times as I started out my fighting career in the sport of Sanshou (Chinese Kickboxing) and at that time Palacios was also a rising star within the Sanshou community. These days Palacios has switched over from Sanshou to competing in both Muay Thai and MMA, enjoying success in both sports. He will be taking on the both famous and infamous Kit Cope who will be returning to the Muay Thai ring for the first time in years. This bout will be just one of what is another impressive fight card put together by Lion Fight Promotions . The event, billed as “Battle in the Desert 4″ will feature an explosive main event bout between Chaz Mulkey and the UK’s Simon Chu. Also expected to showcase their propensity natural inclinations to punch and knee people in the face are Muay Thai luminaries such as, Coke Chunawat, Rami Ibrahim, Chidi Njokuani, Ken Tran, Elaina Maxwell, Roxy Richardson, and many more! For more information on the upcoming “Battle in the Desert 4″ event and more Muay Thai news and media make sure to check back here at Muaythaiislife.com or follow us on our official Facebook page or Twitter Below is the great interview with Jose Palacios by our ...

During a 2005 Standford University commencement speech, the late Steve Jobs famously told students to “stay hungry, stay foolish.” This now oft-repeated quote has become, for many, synonymous with following your heart and your dreams regardless of what naysayers or critics tell you. All to often, most of us end up studying, working, or living lives that others, most often our parents, friends, or society have told us is the most responsible thing to do. We sacrifice our dreams and stifle our creativity in order to satisfy the needs of others and live a life that is not our own because others assure us that our dreams are a one way ticket to nowhere. So what, you ask, does all of this have to do with Muay Thai? Well, this past weekend many Muay Thai fans were a part of history for our beloved sport, as not just one but five stellar Muay Thai events took place right here in North America. I truly believe that no matter how you look at it, this past year has been a resounding success for the sport of Muay Thai in America. And this weekend proved that the sport is growing at an exponential rate, as is the Muay Thai talent that America is developing. The U.S., once the laughingstock of the global Muay Thai community, has slowly and quietly built up its talent through hours of hard work, determination, and perseverance. American blood and sweat soaked gym floors ...

It began with 8 of North America’s top Muay Thai talent. Saturday Night in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; the two remaining fighters, both Canadians, put on a very technical and exciting fight to determine who would take home $10,000 CAD (aprox. $9,950 US) and the first ever North American WMC Championship Belt. In the end the judges decided in favor of Siam No. 1′s Matt Embree, who is now the first ever WMC North American Champion! Embree’s opponent, Josh Palmer definitely carried a size advantage into each bout during the entire tournament. Coupling his size with his technical prowess, vicious elbows, and long devastating knees, for many Palmer was the favorite going into the final. Palmer controlled the initial rounds of the contest, however as the fight carried over into the final rounds, Embree began to pick up the pace and find his rhythm. Embree pressed Palmer with a multitude of attacks that scored highly for the Toronto based fighter and had the larger Palmer backpedaling. In the end the judges felt that Matt Embree did what was needed to win the fight and thus awarded him with the unanimous decision. In the other standout fight of the night, Pittsburgh Muay Thai’s Mark Deluca was looking to mix it up once again with Calgary’s own “Nasty” Nate Smandych. These two talented nakmuays had faced off with each other as amateurs with Smandych taking that fight by decision. However, this time around Nate was not looking to allow ...

Remind me never to process photos when Im half asleep. I apologize for the misplaced and annoying placement of the Muay Thai is Life watermark on all the horizontal pictures. With that said, below are photos of Muay Thai is Life’s coverage of the weigh in for tomorrow’s “Battle at the Bally’s” event being organized by Take On Productions at the Bally’s Resort & Casino in Atlantic City. Once again, make sure you guys tune into the live Pay-Per-View stream of the event as Muay Thai is Life’s Eric Rivera will be providing the live ringside fight commentary with The Wat’s Phoenix Carnavele. The event will be headlined by an exciting matchup between Justin Grekiewicz and rising star Eddie Martinez. Also on the card are the much anticipated pro debuts of NYC’s Jay Matias and Boston’s Jake Mainini as well as a bout for the first ever Take On Championship Title belt between Canada’s Jessie Cronier and The Wat’s Nick Vaughan. Below are the pics from the weigh in:

As our West Coast Muay Thai is Life contingent prepares to cover all the action taking place at tonight’s M-One Grand Muay Thai “USA vs. Thailand” event in Los Angeles; our East Coast contingent, consisting of yours truly, is currently at the Bally’s Resort & Casino in Atlantic City preparing for Take On Production’s “Battle at Bally’s” event which will be taking place tomorrow evening. Take On is looking to pull out all stops for this event. Not only is this the first Full Muay Thai rules event ever to be held in Atlantic City, it is also the first time amateurs will be able to compete under Full Thai Rules in the state of New Jersey. If that wasn’t exciting enough for Take On Productions and it’s lotal fans, Take On promoter Eddie Cuello has just announced that the Jesse Cronier vs Nick Vaughan co-main event will be contested for the first ever Take On Championship belt. Canada’s Jessie Cronier and NYC’s Nick Vaughan will be the only amateur fighters on the card to not only compete under Full Thai Rules but will also be able to fight sans shinpads or headgear (another first for New Jersey)! The fighters will however be required, as per the New Jersey State Athletic Commission, to wear elbow pads because of their amateur status. The belt you see in the picture above is the title belt that will be given to the winner of tomorrow night’s co-main event. The belt was ...

Today, the fighters competing at M-One’s “USA vs Thailand” event will be weighing in en route to their anticipated bouts tomorrow evening at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, California. For those of you that will not be able to make it to the live show and are instead opting to catch the event on GFL.tv make sure to tune in early because as was previously stated the event will be broadcast in Thailand and for this reason the Pro bouts will show earlier than usual. Below is the official line-up of the event as recently brought to our attention by M-One officially. Also for those of you unable to catch the event either live or on Pay-Per-View, Muay Thai is Life will be offering a live play-by-play of the event on our official Facebook page while MTL’s own Galen Okazaki will be ringside snapping pics!   Below is the official line up as per M-One Grand Muay Thai and the MTAA: First bout begins at 6:00 pm SHARP Eduardo Alavarado vs. Carlos Otiniano Gaston Bolanos vs. Roman Garido Professional bouts start at 7:00 pm SHARP Rungravee Sasiprapa vs. Andres Martinez WBC Muay Thai Super Lightweight Kevin Ross vs. Sakkedao Petchpayathai MTAA Muay Thai Light Heavyweight World Title Joe Schilling vs. Kaoklai Kaennorsing MTAA Flyweight World Title Romie Adanza vs. Langsuanlek Sasiprapa Daniel Kim vs. Nate Chambers Remainder of Amateur bouts Jessie Magusen vs. Oscar Sanchez Josh Aragon vs. Alex Numinski We can’t tell you enough about how big this weekend is for Muay Thai in the U.S. as 5 events are set to take place here in the ...

Call your friends, grab some beers, and hook up your PC or Laptop to the TV this weekend because it’s going to be an action packed weekend chock full of complete Muay Thai madness. Muay Thai continues it’s exponential growth in the U.S. as not one, not two, but FIVE Muay Thai events are taking place this weekend here in the good ol’ U.S. of A and will be showcasing some of the top names from North America and Thailand! 3 of these events will be available via GFL.tv so after reading the event descriptions below, check out the links at the bottom of the post for direct access to the live stream purchase page as well as some recent posts you may want to take a look at to prep for this weekend’s events. Help support Muay Thai by buying the live Pay-Per-View streams. You can purchase all 3 Pay-Per-View streams and still pay less than what you would pay for an entire UFC event! So don’t be lame! Check out the links below to purchase the live PPV streams for each event: M-One Grand Muay Thai “USA vs Thailand” live from Los Angeles, CA. *Make sure to tune in exactly at the start of the event. Due to the event being broadcast in Thailand, all pro matches will be first. Take On Productions “Battle at Bally’s” live from Atlantic City, NJ Journey Fight Series Finale – live from Calgary, Alberta, Canada Related Posts: “Into the Fight” Vol. 3 feat. Joe Schilling” “Into the Fight” ...

M-One Grand Muay Thai, MTAA, and Jeff Dojillo Photography bring you the final installment of their fantastic “Into the Fight” series, brought to you once again by Muay Thai is Life. In this episode the series highlights none other than rising American Muay Thai superstar Joe “Stich’em Up” Schilling. As Joe himself explains in this video, he can be somewhat of a polarizing character. For some he may seem a little uncouth or disrespectful, yet for others he’s just the straight-talking, no BS, and quintessential tough guy that says what he feels and backs it up in the ring. As Joe prepares to face Kaoklai this upcoming weekend (Friday, Oct. 21st) at M-One Grand Muay Thai’s “USA vs Thailand” event, many may want to see the aggressive and exciting American fighter lose, while others will want to see him continue to rise up the ranks. Whatever your stance is in regards to Schilling, he definitely puts in work and always looks to win in devastating fashion. He puts people in seats and attracts viewers anytime an interview with him is posted on the web. As the sport of Muay Thai continues it’s growth in the U.S., Schilling is exactly the type of fighter the sport needs to attract mainstream fans. He can play the role of both “hero” or “heel” very well but he also attracts fans because his style of fighting is non-stop, explosive, and entertaining. He is, in essence, a promoters dream. Joe ...

This past weekend Muay Thai is Life headed to Tampa, Florida to cover and support the inaugural event organized by KMT Fight Promotions. The promotion is headed up by Tampa Muay Thai, home of pro fighter Alex Berrios and the gym’s owner, head instructor, and also pro fighter, Ray Cole. Ray, Alex, and the entire Tampa Muay Thai crew have long been good friends of Muay Thai is Life but that wasn’t the only reason we decided to show them support. Currently, the state of Muay Thai in Florida is lackluster. Having quite a large Brazilian population and being the home of MMA’s American Top Team, interest in Mixed Martial Arts vastly outweighs the interest in Muay Thai. While other states have numerous traditional and authentic Muay Thai gyms, Florida seems to have a vast array of pseudo-Muay Thai gyms that seem to simply use the term “Muay Thai” to attract students while the true Muay Thai gyms could most likely be counted on one hand. With this event, KMT Promotions looked to continue to put real Muay Thai on the map in Florida. Although all the fights were amateur bouts, gyms such as Bowon Muay Thai, Elite Muay Thai, and Tampa Muay Thai, just to name a few…showcased that Muay Thai is alive and well in Florida. A few of the more advanced fighters were allowed to compete sans shin pads, which is a first for any amateur Muay Thai bouts in Florida. Also fighters were ...

The Final of the Journey Fight Series takes place on October 22nd, an already stacked weekend for Muay Thai, and will feature the all-Canada final of the 10,000 8-man tournament between Josh Palmer and Matt Embree. Below is the latest press release from the Journey Fight Series regarding the upcoming event…plus the big announcement that the Palmer vs. Embree main event will now be for the WMC North American Title! —————————————— After starting with 8 of the top 140lb professional Muay Thai fighters in North America, the field has been narrowed to two! In an all Canadian final, Toronto’s Matt Embree takes on Josh Palmer of Halifax. Both fighters have been very active in 2011 and are looking to get their hands on the $10 000 winner’s fight purse! As an extra incentive the bout will be for the vacant WMC North American Title, the first ever North American WMC belt awarded! This event will also feature hometown athlete “Nasty” Nate Smandych against Mark Deluca. These accomplished athletes battled once before as amateurs with Smandych winning. Deluca looks to even the score as a professional! Regular Fight of the Night winner Jessica “Thumper” Gladstone steps into the ring bringing her nonstop, action packed style to the fans against Celeste Saenz of Tijuana, Mexico. “Shotgun” Sean McKinnon and Billy “Kung Fu Panda” Kim round out 5 professional bouts! A full undercard of local amateurs will complete the card as Calgary’s Chris McMillan continues to climb the rankings and attempts to avenge a loss to Edmonton’s hard hitting Jamie ...

As the highly anticipated M-One Grand Muay Thai event slated for October 21st in Los Angeles, California draws closer, M-One and the MTAA have done a bang up job of promoting the fighters who will be representing Team U.S.A. vs Team Thailand. Last week Muay Thai is Life brought you a phone interview with popular American nakmuay Kevin Ross, now we bring you yet another great interview with Kevin done by our friends at Totalmuaythai.com, also after reading the interview below, check out the new episode of “Into the Fight” (this episode sponsored by Muay Thai is Life) featuring Kevin Ross below! ——————————————————————- Interview with Kevin “The Soul Assassin” Ross TMT: Where does the mental toughness come from? I see that you have a very strong work ethic. Obviously there is intensive training going on, and lately you’ve been consistently fighting Thai fighters. Where do you find the drive, and where does the work ethic come from to prepare for these guys? Kevin Ross: It’s really something I’ve always had. It really got drilled into me my first fight seeing much tiredness can come into play when going into a fight. I lost my first fight because I got tired, not because I was out of shape. It really showed me how much conditioning played into an actual fight. It doesn’t matter how good you are, if you’re tired you can’t do anything. It really showed me how important that can be. Ever since then I always made sure that conditioning is my number one ...

The second round of the Muaythai Premier League took place yesterday in Padova, Italy. And once again, with the amount of talent the MPL has on its roster, the fights did not fail to impress. Now although we have heard some comments regarding iffy decisions on the judges part during this event, until we can actually see some of the fights and examine them more closely, we will reserve our comments on the subject. We try to be as unbiased as possible at Muay Thai is Life, even when fighters or close friends of ours lose a fight and claim the judges decisions were flawed. With that said, the event definitely brought with it its fair share of surprises and excitement. Perhaps the biggest upset of the night was that of American Ky Hollenbeck’s win over the highly regarded and favored Jordan Watson of the UK. Although we did not see the fight, Hollenbeck dropped Watson in the first round with a spinning back fist and although Watson claims he was on his feet immediately and thus shouldn’t have been given a standing 8 count, the 8 count was given. Hollenbeck’s unorthodox style, which may not be the prettiest display of Muay Thai for some, is effective and has continually brought the American success against some very talented opposition who can’t seem to find their rhythm against his constant onslaught. It seems every fight Hollenbeck has been in as of late, is consistently labeled (even by our site) ...

The Muaythai Premiere League is back in action as this time they head to Padova, Italy for the second leg of their 8 city journey across the globe. The fighters who won their first bouts at the MPL’s inaugural event here in the U.S. are no doubt paying attention to the results of this leg, as well as taking a look at what their next potential match-ups will have in store for them. While this leg of the MPL will be devoid of big names such as Julie Kitchen, Nathan Corbett, Artem Levin, and Buakaw, just to name a few, the MPL is still packing plenty of star power for their venture into Italy. World renowned fighters such as Liam Harrison, Jordan Watson, Chantal Ughi, Saiyok Pumpanmuang, and Kaoklai Kaennorasing are just a few of the big names looking to make their MPL debuts in Il Bel Paese (The beautiful country). For the American fan base, San Francisco’s Ky Hollenbeck will be the sole US representative on this leg of the MPL card and will definitely face the sternest test in his career against the UK’s Jordan Watson. The MPL once again does not pull any punches when it comes to the talent and match-ups they are putting on display, and if this event is anything like their recent visit to the U.S., Muay Thai fans that are able to catch the event will certainly be in for a treat. For thos of you wondering where you can catch ...