Matt’s Fight in Pattaya
February 22, 2008 by mattlucas
As you might remember a few posts back I told you I caught up with MMT member and friend Matt Lucas. He was busy training for a his fight in Thailand. I got this email a few days ago… enjoy.
Max in Pattaya
By Matt Lucas
I got to the gym at 3 o’clock. When I turned up the other fighters were getting ready to go on the afternoon run. I changed my clothes and sat around until Bu told me to come to the matted area. He slathered me with boxing liniment. The liniment is made primarily of menthol and smells peculiarly minty. It acts like icy hot and made me feel like a red hot peppermint. I shadow boxed a little and then was told to eat. I’d brought some noodles from the store and ate them while I sat around with Bpee and Duolong who were also fighting that night. We all watched Popeye cartoons. They were funny with their bad Thai translations. It’s nice to know that Thai people enjoy the antics of Bluto and Popeye as well.
At 6pm we took off in the minivan that Ingram rents when there is a fight. I took a window seat so that I could sleep on the way to Pattaya. We arrived at the Fairtex Tepparist stadium at 7pm. We stood outside the entry gate to look at the various posters. Rafik, from the recent Contender show was on one, and there was a huge poster of Naruepol, also from The Contender Asia. Near the ticket booth was a poster with my white mug on it.
There I was, “Max” from the USA looking only slightly intimidating and glaringly white. Opposite me was my scheduled opponent, Kabor from Hungary. I’d seen Kabor before while training at Sityodtong gym in Pattaya. I’d spent a week in Pattaya early on in my stay in Thailand. Kabor was lazy like all the other Falang that came to dump their money into the gym but it didn’t matter to the trainers. The revolving door of the gym made the quality of Falang fighters pathetically low and since everyone was coming in and out all the time the training was really watered down.
The stadium was small, about the size of a high school auditorium. The midsized ring was in the center of the arena with a series of fold out chairs encompassing it. A horse shoe shaped series of bleachers surrounded the ring. The gamblers were on the left hand side of the ring watching the first fight of the night when we arrived.
We quickly walked back to the dressing room. The dressing room was a small side room with three wooden benches tightly packed against each other. Almost immediately my hands were wrapped. I took a seat on the bench as my hands were wrapped by Berneung, a 24 year old trainer (former WMC Champion) No one regulated the hand wrapping. In the states hand wrapping is watched by an official. There are procedures and rules that would have made Berneung gasp. Berneung covered the back of my hand with tape and then made a thick ridge of tape on my knuckles. It made me feel like I was walking around with brass knuckles. He wound cloth tape around my hand then another layer of tape was added. I was given another boxing liniment rub down and slathered with Vaseline.
There was some commotion after my hands were wrapped and the owner from Ingram gym, Suzuki, had me stand next to a tall Thai kid. Kabor was a no show and my new opponent was a six foot, 19 year old Thai kid. He had asmall patch of hair on his chin that he’d probably been growing for a month or two. Suzuki lifted up his shirt and saw the small roll of pudge around his middle. After seeing the fat, Suzuki nodded his head and approved the match up. We never weighed in, but I’m sure he weighed ten pounds more than me… at least.
Duolong, the other fighter who fought in Pattaya, had is hands wrapped at the same time. Duolong is an Omnoi stadium champion and weighs about 130lbs. He’s a little smaller than me, but solid. I didn’t get to see his fight as my gloves were being put on.
The gloves looked like they’d seen thousands if not tens of thousands of fights. The shoelaces were extremely worn and the gloves were slightly warped. They were tied on my hands and a small layer of tape was wrapped around my wrists. As I stood outside the dressing room I saw Duolong come by. His eyes were rolled in the back of his head and he was slumped over. Two of the Ingram trainers were carrying him. They brought him to the back area and put smelling salts under his nose. I then saw his opponent who was a 6 foot 3 inch Israeli who must have weighed at least 165. I couldn’t help but feel as though I’d fallen into some sort of bizarre prostitution racket.
Eventually Duolong came to and my fight came up. I did the wai khru with as much grace as I could muster and the fight began. It’s always hard to accurately recall one’s fight. The fights are usually so short and a fighter only remembers certain parts of the fight. My opponent came out swinging with wild elbows. My trainer told me to keep my hands up. His elbows glanced off my arms. I chopped at my opponent’s legs a few times hitting him hard. I remember him blocking once. It was hard shin to shin contact. A bruise showed up later in the week and my shin is still a little sore. We jabbed each other a few times and the round was over.
My trainers told me to step forward when kicking (I’m told that every day, and I was told that in the states) and to do simple combinations 1, 2, kick. They rubbed me down with water and the bell rang. I got up and moved to the center of the ring but my opponent still sat on his stool. I looked back and my trainer looked happy. He nodded me to go over. I waied the opponent’s trainer and watched as the doctor looked at my opponent’s shoulder. Evidently he’d pulled it somehow. I don’t think he really wanted to fight, I’m not saying that in a haughty way. I think he either felt like my leg kicks hurt too much or he had earned his money and he was done. He didn’t really seem to possess the “eye of the tiger.” Besides just fifteen more fights and he’d earn enough money for a new motorbike. Two hundred and fifty more fights and I’ll finally be able to pay off my student loans.
I stepped out of the ring and got my picture taken with my stable mates at Ingram. The Ingram guys took off immediately as another fighter was having about in chon buri. I made 1500 baht (about $50), the same as Duolong. I ended up boozing it all away on Saturday night. Sunday had me more hurting from my hangover than from my fight.
I guess I’m supposed to feel pretty proud of what happened yet there is no ejaculatory cry of “Vini Vidi Vici!” There aren’t a flood of beautiful Thai women jumping to bone me even though I’ve trained, fought, and won in Thailand.
Just like there are different ways to lose there are different ways to lose. There’s the glorious victory, a saved by the bell win, a close decision, a clinic etc. This win, well it is a win where I didn’t lose.
Great article man…keep up the good work.
Congrats man! You took care of business. Was it your first pro fight or just the first in Thailand? I only have 2 pro fights, nothing beats the feeling you have when stepping up in the ring, when the wai kru is over and you wait for the bell… And when you realize you have just won your fight in front of all the people…
Enjoy it now and get back in the ring asap!!
Hey well done man!! maybe Suzuki can hook u up with a K1-max contract? haha
well done… juz love this kind of fights.
Nice job! Good article. It must have been a bit demoralizing seeing your friend get carried out of the ring just before you fought.
Cool
Good account Matt. That was a good read.
Excellent article Matt! Are you going to be fighting again while you’re there?
Great Article Matt !! I really enjoyed it…Keep us posted on ur future Muay Thai adventures…lol….Oh and congrats on the win.
Nice. And a win is still a win. Good job!
Another great article from Matt.
Congrats for the win and keep up the good work!
And who’s the kid on the far right, he looks very tough, like a future MAX champ.
Dam ingram was rolling deep… Is that burning??
Great article man! Congrats!
great article and congrats
congrats bro. I know the feeling of winning in that exact stadium and thinking “really, I won THAT way and got paid THIS much?”
first fight in thailand is spose to be that way. the next fight is always much much harder. hopefully i’ll get that second fight there later this year.
Great story. Thx for sharing. I wish these freak fights like the one Duolong was involved in would just stop. Sudsakorn also got brutally KOed by a huge slovakian at Theprasit… guy must have weighed at least 80 to Sudsakorn’s 64..
Great story Matt. Keep them coming. :)
WHA??? That was the worst story I’ve ever heard. I’m not just saying that to be mean, That sucked! This was a story about your fight and you didn’t even fight? Your opponent was out of shape(Farang Fight) and your posing in the picture like you knock Samart? There aren’t a flood of Thai chicks trying to bone me??? Really? That was off topic and beside that totally disrespectful to Thai women.. Is this what that great “MMT” has come to?? That is really a shame. You won yet this is nothing to be proud for at all.
This is Muay thaiy now? Winning without fighting? Atleast if you pay them off, fight and win, you fought.
Guess the MMT moderator ran out of good stories and needed some fillers, cause I really expect more quality than this from MMT…
Yoyo3
Thanks for being the Head of Content Quality, I’ve been meaning to get one. Feel free to send me posts, that meet your min level of quality.
Thanks
Yoyo3
Holy shit you need to chill out. This was a quality post by Matt. You need to go back and read it again with a translator so you understand the american sarcasm that Matt was using.
Talk about missing the mark…
YOYO3…..20 comments on here and ure da only sayin that his story sucks…..so my guess is, ur only lookin’ for attention.
- First of all….He did fight and his opponent didn’t answer the bell…U musta skip through that whole paragraph or u just simply ignored it to make ur comment seem valid.
- “posing in the picture like you knock Samart?”
….The man is posing like he just went to Thailand, trained with Thais, fought a thai and won his match. I guess people are no longer allowed to take pictures anymore (not unless the “knock Samart”).
- “There aren’t a flood of Thai chicks trying to bone me??? ”
….read comment #20, I couldn’t have said it any better.
- “this what that great “MMT” has come to?? That is really a shame.”
….Funny…I don’t recall hearin’ anyone else complain, but here’s an idea…..How about?….If don’t like it…Then don’t read it and stop wasting our time with your tasteless, attention seeking comments ( Why do u think only 3 people ‘including me’ responded to your comment?).
- “This is Muay thaiy now? Winning without fighting? Atleast if you pay them off, fight and win, you fought.”
…..NO!!! if you pay them off, fight and win….U CHEATED YOURSELF, the people who love you and were rooting for you to win, the people who helped you train and the audience who paid to see a good fight!!
I’m not sure if anyone else iz goint to waste their time on your predictably oncoming rebuttal….I know I’m not.
I’m done here!
- Matt, keep up the good work and don’t worry about the haters.
- Nop, you are doin’ an awesome job..thank you for taking the time out.
Hey yoyo,
I take it you went to thailand, trained, fought somebody and won as well then?
because thats the least i’d expect you to have done to criticize someone who has done just that…
…and why take a dig at the site?…whats that for?
well done for winning Matt
from the other Matt
…..oh and Nae, its actually british sarcasm you americans are still learning the ropes……..hehe
I won’t be fighting again out here as I’m going home in a few days. Fighting out here is pretty fucking scary anyways. I’m still pretty nervous before fights.
This was my first “professional” fight. By professional I assume paid. I’ve done a bunch of amateur fights in the states that were much better quality bouts though. I’m unsure of where the line is between amateur and professional.
Suli,next to me in the group picture is Berneung. The solid looking kid on the end is Duolong who got knocked out.
I can only dream that I’d get a k-1 contract.
hey matt, is that japanese guy on the far left called issei? i used to train out of JWP’s gym and that guy used to be my sparring partner (if it’s him)
Richard-
That is Issei, he just had a fight a few weeks back on the same card as Orono. He won by KO.
Nice write up. Place sounds like it would make my nerves act up pretty bad with all the insecurity around you, from whats going on to whats going to happen. make sure to pick up a few tailor made suits while your out there tho!
hey nopstar! can i get details on his fight? who’d he fight. what round KO? by what?
he was a great sparring partner, always very gentle, but from what it sounds like, a monster in the ring. i’m glad he’s doing well.
Yes matt I have fought 20 times and won 14. Sarcasm or not I hate that people goto Thailand thinking they can just buy trade and sell women, Apparently I misunderstood and will admit I overreacted a little bit so excuse me.
Nice article. Congrats on the win, Matt.
Yoyo3 I feel your pain but it was obvious Matt was being sarcastic because a lot of tourists and most of the posters here think that’s exactly what is going to happen. Matt’s making fun of the tourists’ delusions of grandeur.
That is Issei, although on the poster he’s U-ssei. We had a good laugh about that. He’s fighting at Rajadamern on March 3rd.
His most recent fight was against a french kickboxer. The first and third rounds were pretty grim for Issei. It looked like he was going to go to sleep. The french guy had strong hands. Issei was able to outlast his opponent and in the fourth and fifth round he began to dominate knocking down the french guy. The fight ended in the fifth round with Issei knocking out the french guy.
Nopadon may have the fight. I’ll ask Issei as well.
He’s been here at Ingram for the last 7 months. He’s a really nice guy and a pretty good fighter. His technique is pretty simple but clean.
How was John Wayne Parr’s place? Boonchu correct?
yoyo3- mai bpen lai.
yoyo, Im with you all the way on the Thai women issue although i agree with the others that said Matt didn’t intend offence……..
and credit to you for softening your stance against us…….(we had the gloves on at this end) hehe
see you around
Way to go MAX!! lol Hope you grabbed one of those posters you were on. That wd be something awesome to frame and put up in yr house after the glory years are done. Not sure if we’ve met at FNF but where is home these days?
Matt-Khun bpen Jai Dee, tote na, CHok dee duoy na…
I live in the east bay in berkeley and go to pacific ring sports in oakland. You’ve probably seen me around at smokers, or the amateur fights around.
I’m sure we’ll meet at some point.
yoyo3: kop khun kap.
Nice. if you’re going to be at the Pacific ‘function’ in first week of march I’ll ask around.
Dang Matt, can’t wait for you to come back and show me your new moves!
1500 baht? Dude you need a manager
[...] was back in the ring battling it out with Bernueng Sakhomsin (Tiger Muay Thai). Bernueng has been mentioned a few time’s on our blog. Bernueng is currently a trainer in at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket. [...]
Nice article, Matt!
I’m surprised you wrote that you were nervous before the fight. I was talking to you just minutes before your fight and you seemed way relaxed to me (even after seing Duolong getting knocked out by that tall Israeli)
Ian,
Nice to hear from you. I think I emailed you a while back. I was still nervous for the fight, I think I was just pretending not to be. I remember a couple days prior to the fight having a hard time sleeping.
hit me up. I’m coming back to BKK in january or febuary.
mlucas@angrynerds.com
matt lucas
[...] it, drop me an email. This post is by Matt, if you remember he did a post for us on his fight in Pattaya. [...]
listen :) you shouldn’t take any fights in thailand.
i did it too while i knew that they always throw bogus fights vs foreigners, and promosing myself that i wouldn’t take a single fight the entire month.
but i was promised, and i mean promised 50 times, that i was going to get a real good opponent, and they said it was going to be a close 5 round match.
this guy was really going to be a tough opponent.
well guess what, he didn’t even got the chance to drop himself, he got knocked out, and i mean knocked out good(they had to call the doctor) in like 30 seconds.
it was planned carefully by the promoter, the guys at sinbi knew i wasn’t a amateur, but they didnt give a damn, they lied, and afterwards i heard the promoter DOCTOR BEST simply didn’t want to risk a ‘farang’ getting knocked out in front of 100+ other foreigners.
i was PISSED afterwards and felt pretty bad seeing all the laughter in the thai spectators eyes.