At just 20 years old, Yodkhunpon (83-21-1, 51 KO’s) has made a big name for himself in the world of Muay Thai fighting. Known to his friends as ‘Muu’, the youngster is ranked in the top ten for his weight class in Thailand.
That is no mean feat considering the sheer depth of talent in Thailand around the 140lb mark. It is a huge accomplishment for one so young, but Yodkhunpon has even bigger goals in mind. He wants to make his mark on the world stage, not just his native Thailand.
And so he made his way to GLORY, where he debuted at GLORY 15 ISTANBUL in April. He faced the Dutch-Armenian fighter Raz Sarkisjan (30-7-2, 12 KO’s), an experienced kickboxer with very fast hands.
It was a baptism of fire for Yodkhunpon. He won a decision after a close fight, but he learned a lot about the differences between fights under Muay Thai rules and fights under GLORY rules.
“To be honest, Istanbul was not my best performance. I was not used to the GLORY rules and therefore I hesitated many times with my attack,” he says.
“I was concerned about losing points from a foul. For example, in GLORY fights leg-sweeps aren't permitted, which is very common in Muay Thai. In fact it is so common as to be instinctive.”
Another thing, which caught Yodkhunpon out was the warm-up. Thailand is hot and humid almost all of the year, so fighters are warm and loose from the moment they wake up in the morning. Extensive warm-ups are not required before a fight.
Even though Turkey is warm by the standards of its European neighbors, in April it was an icebox compared to Thailand. Backstage, a puzzled Yodkhunpon watched European fighters go through extensive warm-ups. He soon learned why.
“At the arena, I saw other fighters warming up with pad work. We don’t prepare like that; In Thailand we only shadowbox a little before the fight,” he says.
“But now I see the importance of doing at least a round or two of pads. The stadiums [outside Thailand] are cold!”
On Saturday June 21, Yodkhunpon will take part in the four-man Featherweight Contender Tournament at GLORY 17 LOS ANGELES.
This is a huge opportunity for him - the fight airs live on SPIKE TV across America, and if he wins he gets a slot in the next Featherweight Championship Tournament, with the world title up for grabs.
Yodkhunpon started training in Muay Thai just a few years after he learned to walk. He doesn’t have much new to learn in terms of fighting skills.
For this tournament - which also features Canadian karate champion Gabriel Varga, California’s Shane Oblonksy and former WEC champion Miguel Torres - he is focusing more on weight and nutrition.
“I'm taking a little more time to prepare than I usually do. I want to be in top condition and win this tournament,” he says.
“I've also modified my eating habits somewhat, changing from the normal diet of a Thai fighter - LOTS of rice - to one that's more nutritionally suitable for a combat athlete.”
It is worth noting that 145lbs is above the weight that Yodkhunpon usually fights at. Not only is he fighting under GLORY rules - which disallow clinch and elbows in order to keep action flowing - he is also fighting bigger opponents than he has in the past.
But he relishes the challenge. This is all an exciting journey for Yodkhunpon. Like many of Thailand’s top fighters his roots are in the rural and somewhat impoverished region of Isaan, though he himself was born in a poor district on the outskirts of Bangkok.
In Thailand it is common for poor families to enroll their young sons at one of the many Muay Thai camps. The youths start fighting for money at a very, very young age - nine years old is not uncommon - and the family receives a share of their winnings.
“My family is originally from Khorat in Isaan. When I was young there was never enough money for our family to survive. I wanted to earn money to help my family so I decided to try fighting,” he says.
“My elder brother and I came to Sitmonchai to live and train full-time but he had a congenital disease and had to leave. I stayed on to follow my dream and have been at Sitmonchai since I was 5 years old.
“My mother and my father now have some success making Buddha statues. Along with my elder brother I have a younger brother who's still quite young. I don’t know if he will follow me into fighting.”
“The money is helpful, especially in such a poor country like Thailand, but I am also interested in seeing the world and traveling.
“I enjoy training with people from all over the world and now international students are very keen to know real Thai technique. I am happy to see this and hope to make more people interested in Muay Thai.”
Travel is a subject close to his heart. Most of his peers won’t travel far outside their home region in their lifetime, but ‘Moo’ is ready to see the world.
“I feel so excited to get a chance fighting abroad because I have dreamed of it since I was a child! I always had hoped for this opportunity,” he beams.
“Going to Turkey for GLORY 15 was my first time outside of Thailand. I really enjoyed myself -- on the day after the fight I was able to walk around the old city and eat at a local restaurant.
“I'm excited about visiting more places. Los Angeles is next and I have always really wanted to visit Japan as well so hopefully I can get there in the future.”
In the meantime, Yodkhunpon is a man with big plans. Fighting is only a small part of his visions for the future. Don’t be surprised to see him behind the wheel of a new BMW a few years from now - ‘Moo’ is heading into the business world.
“When I'm not training for a fight, I study at university. I'm currently doing a degree in business accounting at ABAC University in Bangkok,” he explains.
“I also love playing football and I'm a big Manchester United fan. One day, I would like to own my own gym. In fact I plan to open it in the near future. When it is open, everyone can come and visit me! In the meantime, you will see me in Los Angeles on June 21.”
GLORY is staging two events back-to-back in Los Angeles, CA on June 21.
First there is GLORY 17 LOS ANGELES live on SPIKE TV, then immediately after that we switch to pay-per-view for GLORY: LAST MAN STANDING, in which three world titles will be on the line.
An eight-man middleweight tournament will see a champion crowned in that division, while Daniel Ghita and Rico Verhoeven will contest the vacant Heavyweight World Championship.
Plus, Marc De Bonte defends the Welterweight World Championship against Canadian contender ’Bazooka’ Joe Valtellini.
LAST MAN STANDING is priced at $34.95 in the USA
