Welcome to the first edition of our bi-weekly roundup of the kickfighting events that may have slipped past your radar. While promotions like GLORY, RISE, K-1, and ONE Championship dominate the headlines, the world of kickboxing and Muay Thai is vast, with talented fighters showcasing their skills in various events worldwide. Join us as we shine a spotlight on the top fighters and noteworthy matchups from the past week, providing insights into the ever-evolving landscape of professional kickboxing.
KHUNSUEKLEK VS. KUMANDOI
Khunsueklek has, over the past two years, made himself the darling of hardcore Muay Thai fans worldwide and for good reason: undefeated in 40 fights, the 18-year old has improved and grown in each successive fight. His defeat of Pangtor made him the unofficial king of the division, while his triumph over the renowned Kumandoi this past week made him the official and undisputed Rajadamnern Stadium Bantamweight champion. Aside from being a meeting of two pound-for-pound Muay Thai talents, it was likewise a sensational fight in itself. In case you've missed it, Rajadamnern World Series has kindly made it available on their YouTube channel.
DUAN99 VS. CHALAMCHON
A rematch between the best 105lbs fighters in the sport.
18-year-old Duan99 of Aunsukhumvit gym bursted onto the Bangkok stadium scene in 2021 on a hot 13-fight win streak culminating in a dominant win against Isan region champion Lanyamo at Omnoi stadium. Despite the volatile nature of the 105lbs division, Duan99 has been a consistent force in the division for the past 3 years as one of the best punchers in the sport. Coming into this fight, he had been on a 10-1-1 (7 KOs) run since 2022.
On the other hand, 19-year-old Chalamchon breakout year was in 2022, when he came up to above 100lbs, going 9-3 (1 KO) since. Chalamchon is trained by Muay Thai legends Samart Payakaroon and Karuhat Sor.Supawan (and has Somrak in his corner), and he takes after their styles, outmaneuvering pressure fighters with movement and scoring with kicks, counter elbows, and knees.
These two faced each other in their last fight where Duan99 won a close decision victory over Chalamchon for the Rajadamnern Stadium 105lbs title. This fight, however was a one-sided affair . The fight was decided near the end of the fourth round when Chalamchom scored a knockdown with an overextended counter elbow.
EDDY NAIT SLIMANI VS. ANASS AHMIDOUCH
France has long been a hotbed of quality kickfighting and Eddy Nait Slimani has long been one of its' best representatives. A fringe memeber of the divisional elite, Slimani has always had the misfortune of suffering a loss just as he began picking up momentum. One such loss was at the hands of Anass Ahmidouch, who overcame his French compatriot by decision in November. Slimani was able to exact his revenge last week in what was an all-around solid performance from both.
Honorable mentions: Kompatak SinbiMuayThai finally earned his first Rajadamnern Stadium stadium title with a decision win over Somraknoi Muayded 789, after he spent six years near the top, but never quite atop the podium. Kaito Ono, a possible wildcard for the K-1 MAX, avenged his loss to Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy on a U-NEXT broadcast PPV.
