On Saturday, Muay Thai legends Buakaw Banchamek and Saenchai stepped intoside the squared circle under the Bare Knuckle Fighting…
On Saturday, Muay Thai legends Buakaw Banchamek and Saenchai stepped intoside the squared circle under the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship banner for one of the biggest fights in the history of the art of eight limbs.
Headlining BKFC Thailand 5 inside the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall in The Land of Smiles, the two Thai icons with more than 500 fights between them finally faced off in a special rules bare-knuckle Muay Thai bout. Buakaw, also known as ‘The White Lotus’, is a two time K-1 world champion and multiple time Lumpinee Stadium champion. Earlier this year, he scored his first victory inside the BKFC ring, finishing Erkan Varol via knockout in the opening round of their BKFC Thailand 3 scrap.
Saenchai, who boasts an incredible 327-49-2 record, made his promotional debut at Saturday’s event, having also been a multi-time Lumpinee Stadium champion. Saenchai, who is two years older than his opponent, is also a former WBC Muay Thai champion and has an undefeated record of 5-0 in conventional boxing.
The contest delivered on the hype with both fighters going toe-to-toe for five full rounds that ultimately ended with Buakaw emerging as the winner in a fairly decisive fashion.
Official Result: Buakaw Banchamek def. Saenchai via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-46 & 48-47).
The loss is the first of Saenchai’s career since 2014, snapping a 70+ fight win streak.
Check Out Highlights From Buakaw vs. Saenchai at BKFC Thailand 5 Below:
BKFC President David Feldman can’t wait to deliver one of the most anticipated Muay Thai fights in the history…
BKFC President David Feldman can’t wait to deliver one of the most anticipated Muay Thai fights in the history of the sport on November 4.
Emanating from Pattaya, two legends in the art of eight limbs, Buakaw Banchamek and Saenchai will step inside the squared circle for a special rules Muay Thai matchup at BKFC Thailand 5. It’s a contest fight fans never thought they would live to see, but Feldman, the founder of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, prides himself on delivering the fights that nobody else can.
“I think what I try to specialize in is doing things that everybody says you can’t do and doing things that people don’t do and everybody said that Saenchai and Buakaw would never fight,” Feldman said in a LowKick MMA exclusive interview. “I’m like, ‘Oh yeah? Watch.’ We were able to do this and like I said in my last interview, the reason we’re doing it as a special Muay Thai rules is because I think it’s not doing the fans, the fighters, or anyone justice if we limit those guys to only their knuckles.
“Let’s let them do the elbows, the knees, and the kicks. No throwdown. No real clinch. It’s gotta be action and I think it could be something where we change the Muay Thai world a little bit and take the boring part of the Muay Thai out of it and make it complete excitement. Long story short, I’m super excited about that. I think it’s going to be a very widely viewed event and I can’t wait for it.”
How Did the BKFC Manage to Book Buakaw vs. Saenchai?
Asked how they managed to bring the two Thai icons together, Feldman indicated that it ultimately came down to the almighty dollar, but he also believes that Buakaw and Saenchai are eager to deliver to fans one of the most debated fantasy matchups in Muay Thai history and finally answer the question of who would win.
“This is a chance for them to really prove themselves,” Feldman added. “They always wanted to do this, but nobody could make it work. We paid them good. We paid them something they haven’t been paid before and I think they’re just excited to prove themselves because everybody says Buakaw would beat Saenchai, or Saenchai would be Buakaw, and guess what? On November 4, we’re gonna find out.”
Buakaw enters the contest as one of the most celebrated athletes in the history of the sport, carrying 240 career wins and a plethora of world titles. Buakaw is a former multi-time WMC Muay Thai champion, a former WBC Muay Thai champion, and a two-time K-1 World MAX Champion.
His opponent, Saenchai, has been competing for more than 35 years and has amassed an incredible 327 career wins. During the course of his three-and-a-half-decade run, Saenchai has claimed titles under the WPMF, WBC, WMC, and PABA banners. He is also a six-time Lumpinee Stadium champion.
BKFC Thailand 5 will air live from the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall on Saturday, November 4 at 9:00 a.m. ET, 6 a.m. PT via the BKFC app.
The long-awaited bare-knuckle bout between Muay Thai legends Buakaw vs Saenchai is back on according to BKFC Asia promoter Nick Chapman. Fight fans were sent into a frenzy when Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship revealed that, not only had they signed both Buakaw and Saenchai, but that the two masters in the art of eight limbs […]
The long-awaited bare-knuckle bout between Muay Thai legends Buakaw vs Saenchai is back on according to BKFC Asia promoter Nick Chapman.
Fight fans were sent into a frenzy when Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship revealed that, not only had they signed both Buakaw and Saenchai, but that the two masters in the art of eight limbs would step inside the squared circle for a bare-knuckle brawl. Originally announced for March 18 in Thailand, the bout was eventually called off after some confusion arose regarding the rule set and what would be allowed by the Boxing Authorities of Thailand.
It was an unfortunate turn of events, but it now appears that the Buakaw vs Saenchai is back on and scheduled for this fall. According to the CEO of BKFC Asia, the fight will go down on November 4 at BKFC Asia 5. The event will emanate from the Royal Cliff Hotels Group in Pattaya, Thailand with tickets being made available starting on August 17.
The bout is being advertised as a special rules bare-knuckle Thai fight between the two combat sports icons.
Buakaw vs Saenchai Will Be a Battle of Two Thai Legends
Buakaw Banchamek and Saenchai are by far and away, two of the most accomplished Muay Thai practitioners in the history of the sport. The pair have more than 550 career wins combined and nearly 60 years worth of experience between the two.
Much of that comes from the side of Saenchai who began competing in Muay Thai in 1988 when he was just eight years old. During his legendary run, Saenchai has accumulated 317 victories and is a multi-time Lumpinee Stadium champion. He has also captured world titles with the WMC and WBC. Under the THAI FIGHT banner, Saenchai won the King’s Cup three years in a row and went on an incredible 52-0 run.
Not to be outdone, Buakaw Banchamek has established himself as perhaps the greatest Muay Thai fighter in the history of the sport. With 240 wins, Buakaw is a two-time K-1 World MAX champion in addition to being a multi-time WMC titleholder. He also captured the WBC Muaythai Diamond World Championship in 2014.
In September, Buakaw made his BKFC debut, competing in a bare-knuckle bout against Erkan Varol at BKFC Thailand 3. Buakaw scored himself a first-round knockout and has since added another win to his illustrious record, defeating Rukiya Anpo at RIZIN 42 in May.
We can’t wait til November when we can finally see Buakaw vs Saenchai and see who will be the victor between these two Muay Thai legends.
UFC color commentator Joe Rogan labeled Suphachai Saenchai Saepong, one of the greatest Muay Thai fighters ever, as his favorite in the sport. During a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, the long-time podcaster spoke with UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal about Muay Thai. When asked about his favorite fighter, Rogan quickly name dropped Saenchai […]
UFC color commentator Joe Rogan labeled Suphachai Saenchai Saepong, one of the greatest Muay Thai fighters ever, as his favorite in the sport.
During a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, the long-time podcaster spoke with UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal about Muay Thai. When asked about his favorite fighter, Rogan quickly name dropped Saenchai Saepong.
“You got to go with Saenchai Saepong because he’s been around so long and he’s still f–king people up,” Rogan said. “He’s light on his feet and he throws kicks with no telegraph…He’s very different, there’s no one like him.”
Masvidal also shared his thoughts on Saenchai Saepong, calling him the “Michael Jordan of Muay Thai”.
“I think one of the things that makes [Saenchai Saepong] so special is his ability to take you off your feet at any moment,” Masvidal said. “I think he’s like the best at manipulating your balance and sending you flying across the ring.”
Saenchai is a Muay Thai Great
Saenchai Saepong, a former four-division Lumpinee Stadium champion, has competed for over four decades against Muay Thai’s best. He’s known for his flashy striking and elite footwork.
He’s credited for inventing the “cartwheel kick”, an acrobatic technique that’s been used in Muay Thai and mixed martial arts.
Despite his age, the 41-year-old is still active. For the last nine years, he’s frequently competed for the “Thai Fight” promotion. His most recent fight came last December in Bangkok, Thailand, where he beat Elit Honkorng by knockout.
Saenchai Saepong’s last loss happened in 2014 in a decision loss to Petchmorrakot Petchyindee at Rajadamnern Stadium in Bangkok. Since then, he’s won 65 fights in a row.
In August 2022, Saenchai Saspong signed a multi-fight deal with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships (BKFC). He was originally scheduled to face fellow Muay Thai legend Buakaw Banchamek on March 18 at BKFC 4 but the fight was postponed.
BKFC Asia has booked a showdown between two legends, targeted for March 2023. All-time kickboxing great Buakaw Banchamek will face off against Muay Thai legend Saenchai Saepong in a bare-knuckle boxing match. Saenchai is a multi-time Muay Thai stadium world champion with an incredible record of 314-41-5. Buakaw has faced some of the greatest kickboxers […]
BKFC Asia has booked a showdown between two legends, targeted for March 2023. All-time kickboxing great Buakaw Banchamek will face off against Muay Thai legend Saenchai Saepong in a bare-knuckle boxing match.
Saenchai is a multi-time Muay Thai stadium world champion with an incredible record of 314-41-5. Buakaw has faced some of the greatest kickboxers in history including Nieky Holzken, John Wayne Parr, Giorgio Petrosyan, and Masato Kobayashi among many others. This fighter held world titles in Muay Thai and Kickboxing, including two championship wins at the prestigious K-1 MAX World Grand Prix.
The Thai-born athlete is recently coming off a bare-knuckle win as he earned KO victory in round one of September 2022 at BKFC Thailand 3.
BKFC Asia CEO Nick Chapman offered a breakdown of this legendary matchup during an interview with LowKickMMA’s Tim Wheaton, he explained:
“Saenchai has the best fight IQ I’ve ever seen. He’s a wizard … Buakaw is a beast. Buakaw has power, strength, his toughness is next level.”
However, the size difference is notable. BKFC will be having the larger Thai-born fighter cut weight for this match. And to help even the odds, clinch time will be reduced. Chapman continued:
“Buakaw is slightly bigger so he’s got that slight advantage. So Saenchai was concerned about the size. So I said okay. Well, we’re going to make Buakaw cut to 68.5 [kg], [Saenchai] will come up half a kilo because walks around at 68 … We’re reducing the clinch. They’re only allowed two-seconds and then split so Buakaw can’t lean on him and wear him down … Zero gloves, zero wraps, completely bare-knuckle.”
The promotion was also concerned that Buakaw and Saenchai may be too friends with each other. The two legends were offered a friendly exhibition match but they declined. Both said, they want a fight and will be aiming for knockout wins.
See the full interview with BKFC Asia CEO below:
Bare-Knuckle Muay Thai after Buakaw vs Saenchai
While Buakaw vs Saenchai will be under boxing rules, Chapman explains that there are future plans in 2023 to expand into bare-knuckle Muay Thai fighting. The BKFC Asia CEO is unable to reveal very much, but he did illustrate while speaking to LowKickMMA:
“It is something we’re discussing with the big boss David Feldman. Because look, bare-knuckle fighting championship, it’s not bare-knuckle boxing, not bare-knuckle kickboxing, not bare-knuckle Muay Thai, it’s bare-knuckle fighting. Which means we’re opening up to a much wider audience … We’re going to launch a new platform; BKFC Bare-Knuckle Muay Thai.”
Who would you like to see compete in BKFC Muay Thai?
Buakow and Saenchai will be headlining a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event labeled “A Clash of the Muay Thai Legends” on March 18th. The two legendary fighters are known to be close friends and even training partners, but they will be squaring off in a bare knuckle Muay Thai match. Many fans of the sport […]
Buakow and Saenchai will be headlining a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event labeled “A Clash of the Muay Thai Legends” on March 18th.
The two legendary fighters are known to be close friends and even training partners, but they will be squaring off in a bare knuckle Muay Thai match. Many fans of the sport are already calling this, the “biggest match in Muay Thai history“.
There has been no word whether the bout will be an exhibition match or not, but many speculate that it will most likely be one. Buakaw fights at a heavier weight than Saenchai, so it is speculated that the matchup will be a catchweight bout as well.
Buakaw recently made his Bare Knuckle Fighting debut in September
Buakaw (40) beat his opponent, Erkan Varol by knockout in just the first round of the bout. He landed a devastating body shot on Varol and dropped him with it. Varol was unable to return to his feet and continue fighting. Buakow has a kickboxing record of 240-24, with 73 of his wins coming by way of knockout.
Saenchai (42) has not had a fight in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship yet, but carries an impressive kickboxing record into this bout as well. He comes in with a record of 327-41, with 41 knockouts of his own.
“Once we started working with ‘Buakaw’ and ‘Saenchai’ earlier this year, it became very apparent how big of an international, game-changing event this would be for combat sports,” said David Feldman, President of BKFC. “They’ve both had legendary careers and competed in many of the most exciting Muay Thai fights in history. Combat sports fans have always had very strong opinions about who would win, now they’re going to take the gloves off and finally settle their score.” (Transcribed by FightbookMMA.com)