History made in double main event of MWC spectacular
by Manav Thakkar and Oliver Fennell
True sports history was made inside Bangkok’s World Siam Stadium on December 16 when the first ever champions of bareknuckle muay Thai were crowned.
Mongkol World Championship (MWC) sanctioned the inaugural title fights, which honoured the ancient tradition of Thailand’s national martial art and combined with the surging modern trend for bareknuckle fight sports.
And, perhaps fittingly, it was a double success for Thailand, which can now boast the first two champions of a new sport, after Weerachai Phomnikon and Baki Janphirom triumphed in a double main event to take home the handsome belts after a night that featured five title fights in total.
The action concluded with veteran Weerachai outlasting his younger and longer-limbed American opponent Jesse Morgan, a late rally sealing victory – and the welterweight championship – by a narrow margin after an absorbing contest.
Morgan looked comfortable through the earlier rounds, keeping Weerachai at bay with lengthy strikes and perfectly timed accuracy. His kicks to the head in particular were impressive, even with the newly added danger of muay Thai with ungloved fists.
But Weerachai, who stepped in to replace Italy’s Super Vico at just eight days’ notice when the latter broke a finger in training, weathered the storm and responded with some late thunder of his own.
Morgan, perhaps feeling victory was already assured, played defence in the final session, but in doing so allowed Weerachai unprecedented success. The Thai hit his co-challenger hard and early in the round and then poured every ounce of energy into a dramatic assault, fuelled by the prospect of writing his name in history.
As punch after punch rained in, the pain of bare knuckles colliding with Morgan’s face and head first cast doubt over what had seemed an inevitable American victory and then slowly but surely transferred glory to the Thai warrior by way of a wafer-thin split decision.
Huge knockout grab’s world’s attention as Baki shows No Mercy
More emphatic – and more dramatic – was the conclusion to the bareknuckle bantamweight belt fight which immediately preceded Weerachai’s heroics.
What was a highly anticipated affair between Thai rivals Baki and Sompol ‘Super Petch’ Santay ended abruptly and in exactly the kind of manner guaranteed to draw attention to this exciting new sport.
Baki, with his bare fists the only thing harder than his six-pack, glowered with intensity as he picked powerful shots with expert precision, setting up a finish which showed exactly why he carries the nickname “No Mercy” into the ring.
A looping left hook crashed into Sompol’s jaw, pitching him down on to his side with such impact that the referee waved the contest over immediately at the 1:34 mark of the very first round, foregoing the need for a count so that the stricken fighter could be tended to immediately by the medics.
Baki, who has competed in more than 400 fights, adds to a legendary career that already includes Lumpini and leth wei championships.
Dominant Duangdownoi and super Sam A win MWC gloved championships
While Mongkol is pioneering the bareknuckle muay Thai concept, it is a long-standing and highly respected brand in the world of the Art of Eight Limbs.
Therefore, it is entirely fitting that as the company moves into event promotion, it also puts on title fights in the traditional gloved format of the sport – and on this night, two new world champions were crowned, again both from Thailand.
Arguably the biggest name on the bill was Duangdawnoi Looksaikongdin, who squared off with the USA’s Maggie Hongthongmuaythai for the women’s atomweight strap. The 75-fight superstar came good on her fearsome reputation, holding off a dogged challenge from the American to take the points, and the title, by way of unanimous decision.
Maggie employed her trademark knees to the ribs to good effect and by the midway point appeared a fair bet for the win, but Duangdawnoi found her second wind and put an exclamation mark on her performance with a final-round knockdown courtesy of a brutal combination.
Earlier, Sam A Noi secured the flyweight title in what may have been the fight of the night. In an all-Thai affair against Roger Thirawat, Sam A overcame height and reach disadvantages with his superior physical and mental strength.
Ferocious body strikes from both hands and feet left Roger racked with pain and visibly bruised en route to a UD win by Sam A, but only after a bitterly contested bout that featured plenty of give and take and a fascinating contrast of styles.
Undercard: Dorrer wins Van Wyk MMA rematch; rising muay Thai talents impress
With this show being produced in association with SEA FC, it was fitting that the latter’s multi-sport approach was tied into as MMA featured in an undercard highlight.
Heavyweight veterans collided in a rematch of the spectacular SEAFC Fight Night III main event, and while Daniel Dorrer repeated his victory over Cornelis Van Wyk, it came after an improved performance from the younger man.
South African Van Wyk was determined to atone for the sudden-strike finish in their May encounter, and started off well by outboxing his German foe, but Dorrer adjusted, started making his man miss, and pounced on an opening to score a head-kick knockdown followed by a ground-and-pound finish.
With the win, which came at 2:44 of the first round, Dorrer remains the no.1 contender for the SEA FC MMA heavyweight title.
* The two remaining muay Thai bouts showcased the best of the next generation, with two professional contests and an amateur title fight.
The latter saw talented teenager Toby McNerlin of Ireland overcome the co-challenge of Germany’s Behrang Tayafeh.
Tayafeh began in confident mood but McNerlin’s constant pressure gradually eroded the older man’s swagger. The popular Irishman surged down the home stretch to win by unanimous decision and lift the bantamweight strap and add to an already glowing reputation across several martial arts.
It is perhaps inevitable that McNerlin will eventually end up in the pro ranks, where he will join the likes of featherweight Bos Chayut, another impressive UD winner over Tue Prasittigat thanks especially to clean kicks to the body.
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