Asia’s Finest Fight in England: Saiyok, Buakaw, Sudsakorn, Singmanee

This will be the biggest Muay Thai event of the year: “Thai Fight UK”.

An unbelievably stacked event featuring former K-1 MAX and Shootboxing S-Cup champion, and Omnoi Stadium and WMC World Muay Thai champion Buakaw Banchamek, Lumpinee & Thai Fights champion & 5yr undefeated (until a headbutt) Saiyok Pumpanmuang, former Lumpinee champion and Omnoi Stadium tournament winner Singmanee, former WMC and WPMF super-lightweight and current Thailand welterweight champion Sudsakorn Sor.Klinmee, plus the internationally renowned Leeds duo from Bad Company Gym; former WMC & WPMF world champion Liam Harrison, and The Contender UK winner, The Contender finalist & ISKA world champion Jordan Watson.

Lemme hear you say whoomp – der it is.

This is without doubt the biggest Muay Thai show ever on English, or maybe European soil. This card is stacked even for THAILAND. Saiyok is the best fighter (or thereabouts) of the last half-decade, Buakaw is a globally renowned superstar in kickboxing, shootboxing and Muay Thai (he has won meaningful or the highest “world” titles in all three), Singmanee and Sudsakorn are two top-of-the-range Thais with significant accomplishments between them, and Jordan and Liam are England’s two most respected exports whose super-fights with Thailand legends goes into the double figures.

The line-up is as follows:

1. Buakaw Por.Pramuk (THAI) VS Craig JOSE (ENGLAND) 70 kg.

2. Sudsakorn Sor.Klinmee (THAI) VS Abdoul TOURE (France) 70 kg.

3. Saiyok Pumpanmuang (THAI) VS Reghi Issam (France) 72 kg.

4. Armin Matli (THAI) VS Abdallah Mabel (France) 70 kg.

5. Singmanee Kaewsamrit (THAI) VS Houcine Benoui (France) 67 kg.

6. Jordan Watson (ENGLAND) VS Hamed hassan (France) 70 kg.

7. Liam.Harrison (ENGLAND) VS DylanSalvador (France) 67kg.

8. Michael DICKS (ENGLAND) VS Crice Boussoukou (France) 67 kg

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Jose is Britain’s #2 light-middleweight (70kg) behind friendly rival Watson. Given how Jordan did against Buakaw in a close fight that went the distance in 2010, it will be interesting to see how the Scot fares against him. This is of course the money weight – you do well at 70kg, and you’re in line to face K-1 MAX guys (such as Buakaw) and compete in the most prestigious tournaments in the world, be they K-1 MAX, the S-Cup, GLORY, or It’s Showtime Grand Prix’s.

I would expect Sudsakorn, Saiyok and Singmanee (the 3 S’s) to get through their opponents, as do I with Liam and Jordan. It will pose an interesting situation, and perhaps set up subsequent bouts;

• Liam Harrison vs. Singmanee, 67kg
• Liam Harrison vs. Sudsakorn, catch-weight (66-68.5kg)
• Jordan Watson vs. Sudsakorn
• Jordan Watson vs. Buakaw II
• Jordan Watson vs. Saiyok II

Best of all is that we already know these fights would be well contested affairs. As damn good as Singmanee is, Liam has fought and beaten better, in their primes. The Liam who beat Rajadamnern Stadium champion & WMC title-holder Nampon, Rajadamnern & Lumpinee Stadium champion Anuwat, Rajadamnern monster Sarmsamut, 11x world champion Andrei Kulebin and more would deal with a still dangerous, still great but post-prime Singmanee I would think.

As for Jordan, he has already fought both Buakaw and Saiyok, and while the latter was a close fight in a one-night-tournament final, the former could have even been scored for him. There is very little separating Watson from the Thai legends, if anything, and one feels that his fourth tussle with a Thai legend (after having also faced Yodsaenklai Fairtex in the Kings Cup 2010) could finally be his time to shine, and put himself at the top.

This is an amazing card, and one that every single Muay Thai fan should watch. If you don’t, you will not only be a substandard human being and a pitiful specimen, you will – literally – be the subject of that famous line “where were you while we were getting high?”

Champagne Supernova.

Twitter @ Daniel Fletcher