The Science of 8 Limbs

By Mike LNg

Here is my play by play of the Thai Fight event along with results.

Previews leading up to Thai Fight definitely focused on Buakaw. With clips of him played in virtual loop of him easily and definitively beating past opponents.

Thai Fight opened with dramatic flair and majestic instrumental introduction video. With that Thai Fight is at last on. Dare I say production value rivals that of K-1 Grand Prix of yesteryear? Definitely looks like a full house in attendance.

Some Thai celebrities are in attendance including Mum Jokmok of Ong Bak fame, the comedic relief part of the film.

My fight account is in the order of the fights.

Nishikawa Tomoyuki (Japan) vs Chi Woo Yeong(Korea) 70 kg

Chi Woo Yeung makes his entrance to none other than Gangnam Style theme reflecting his Korean homeland. A bit disappointed he didn’t do the gangnam style dance entirely to the ring. No wai kru for Tomoyuki.

Rd1 – The Japanese fighter showing some cockiness with hands down. Neither fighter with a definitive edge yet. Tomoyuki did dump Yeong In a very slick move. Close round.

Rd2 – Yeong definitely has the more Thai style of fighting as seen in the kicking technique. Yeung with some decent looking combos scoring with very little coming back. Looks like Tomoyuki has a bruise under the left eye already.Yeong ahead this round.

Rd3 – Both open up brawling and swinging. Tomoyuki scores with spinning backfist that downs Yeong.Yeong to my eyes doing better in the clinch scoring with good knees. 2nd down on Yeung though it was a shove. Tomoyuki looks like he hurt Yeong with punches. But Yeong recovered and fighting back. Yeong back to teep and tries a jumping elbow at rounds end.

Tomoyuki wins by decision.

Houcine “the Executioner” Bennoui (Algeria) vs. Adaylton Pareira De Freitas (Brazil) 67kg.

Rd1 – Both fighters feeling each other out. Freitas with early dump of Houcine. Freitas with 2nd dump from the clinch. Lots of action the clinch. I’d edge Freitas. He seemed to score more in the clinch.

Rd2 – Houcine opens the round with a throw of Freitas. Houcine scoring with multiple elbows and punches. They exchange throws to the mat of each other. Both exchanging elbows and punches in the corner! Houcine is cut. Houcine pushes Freitas to the floor. Freitas scores a jumping knee. Houcine kicking nicely to the body. Very even exchanges. This is a live fight compared to the 70kg match between Tomoyuki and Yeung.

Rd 3 – Both exchanging scoring punches and kicks. Again Freitas jumps in with a flying knee. Bennoui punching and scoring but Freitas scores with a body kick hard. The Brazilian Freitas is scoring very well with knees and kicks.

Winner by decision Freitas

Feres Bechar (France)  vs. Vitali Hurkou(Belarus) 70kg

Rd1 – Lot of feeling out though there are telling kicks form the taller Horkou

Rd2 – A dump and Bechar looks like he may have been unintentionally struck Horkou in the groin. Both back to fighting and notably the taller Horkou having a better time of it in the clinch. Horkou is actually in his punching range when Bechar is in his kicking range.

Rd3 – The ranginess of Horkou is proving to be more than Bechar can handle with long range kicks and knees winning the day for Horkou. Horkou is easily mauling his opponent and drops Bechar with a crisp elbow to the head. Much respect to Bechar though; he is fighting. But it seems like a foregone conclusion.

Horkou is victorious.

Andrei Kulebin (Belarus) Vs. Crice Bousoukou (South Africa) 67kg

Rd1 – Bousoukou testing the water with low kicks on Kulebin who defends easily. Despite the height difference Kulebin has better control in the clinch and scores hard knees.

Rd2 – Kulebin with hands down at times inviting Bousoukou in. Kuelbin scoring accurately. Kulebin throws the taller Bousoukou and frequently lands a body kick. I thought Kulebin would have more trouble with Bousouku’s bigger range than I expected.

Rd3 – Kulebin scores with a kick and gets dumped for his efforts by Bousoukou.Bousoukou showing good defensive and counter skills by returning a low kick for Kulebin’s missed kick. The rangier Bousoukou lands some elbows on top of Kulebin’s head but Kulebin again doing well in the clinch. Much better round for Bousoukou. Bousokou made a much better account for himself than probably what most expected.

Winner by decision Kulebin

Singmanee Kaewsamrit (Thailand) vs. Vatnikaj Valdeim/Valdrim (Belgium) 67kg

Rd.1 – A feeling out round with Singmanee testing Valdeim’s weapons though he caught kicks and counters with overhand punches. Valdeim very tentative though he scored a nice sweeping kick he has restricted himself to noncommittal low kicks to the leg of Singmanee.

Rd.2 – Singmanee coming out with more scoring kicks and punches. The crowd is definitely with Singmanee as he lands multiple body kicks. Singmanee is walking Valdeim down now. Left kicks now landing often for Singmanee. Valdeim’s still noncommital basically to any offense.

Rd.3 – Valdeim now coming out more aggressively. Though almost exclusively punching at Singmanee now. Singmanee now working the mean left kick towards Valdeim’s leg and body. Both kicks landing with increased frequency on Valdeim’s body. Singmanee is landing in one of two places:Valdeim’s left leg and on the right side of his body.

Easy win for Singmanee Kaewsamrit

Buakaw Banchamek (Thailand) Vs. Mauro Serra (Italy) 70kg

Buakaw is still billed as Por Pramuk.

Rd1 – Serra being remarkably aggressive throwing a high kick. A kick strays low and hit Buakaw in the groin. After a brief rest period the fight resumes.Buakaw counters off a counter and lands kicks high and low. Yes, he countered a counter. Buakaw catches Serra kicks and dumps him. Buakaw’s left kick goes to work early landing body kicks and low kicks. At the end of the round Buakaw caught a Serra kick and landed hooks to the head and dropped Serra with an elbow.

Rd2 – Buakaw opens the round landing at will with good combos of both kicks and punches and a jumping knee. Buakaw landed another salvo of kicks and punches ending with a knee and another throw of Serra. Buakaw basically landing at will despite Serra’s best attempts to tie him up.

Rd3 – Buakaw drops Serra with a vicious left hook and smells blood. Buakaw goes into finish Serra. A low kick drops Serra for the win.

Buakaw wins via TKO

Anteroom Hynynen (Finland) vs Shannon King (Australia) 70kg

Rd1 – King is swinging freely and lands to Hynynen early. King runs in often without so much as a jab to set things up  and Hynynen, wisely is kicking to the body to counter.King some what wild but corners Hynynen to land a good elbow.

Rd2 – More of the same action with Hynynen actually backing up the taller King and landing kicks.The tone stylistically is set with
Hynynen being the more tactical and King being the more wild.

Rd3 – Theme set in the 1st rounds is continuing here with Hynynen being the cleaner scorer and King strolling in with wild strikes. Point-wise this would appear to be Hynynen’s fight.

Hynynen wins by decision.

And that was how I saw it. Please note the last fight of Shan Cangelosi vs Mehdi Zatout was not aired.

~ by fatsoking on October 23, 2012.

Posted in News
Tags: Adaylton Pareira De Frettas, Andrei Kulebin, Antero Hynynen, Buakaw, Choi Woo Yeong, Crice Bousoukou, Fares Bechar, Houcine Benoui, Italy, Mauro Serra, Medhi Zatout, Muay Thai, Nishikawa Tomoyuki, Rachid Boumalek, Shannon King, Shawn Cangelosi, Singmanee Kaewsamrit, Vital Hurkou