Fighting in Chiang Mai vs Phuket - Lessons Learned from Mirkko

I had the chance to go to the fights this weekend to help Mirkko film his first fight in 18 months.  He's been out due to injury and it was time to shake off his ring rust.  He's been training like a beast the last three weeks at KC Muay Thai and looked amazing on the pads and in sparring.  It was time to step it up in the stadium.

I got to see first hand how fighting in Chiang Mai differed from fighting in Phuket.  First there was getting to the stadium itself.  I was in charge of taking Mirkko to the stadium on the back of a motorbike, and was nervous the entire time, thinking, crap, I'm responsible for this guy.  I haven't ridden any type of motorcycle or scooter in over a year and now I had a guy that was fighting that night on the back of mine.  Luckily we got there safety and didn't get lost.  The stadium itself was at the night market, which makes sense since there is a lot of foot traffic there.  It was very different from stadiums in Chiang Mai, lower budget for sure, but also a bit more authentic.

The best thing about fighting in Phuket is you get giant vinyl posters of your face posted all over town, making you feel like an instant celebrity.  I'd drive around the next morning and take them down as souvenirs.    The stadiums are bigger, nicer, and you get bigger crowds.  You also get paid a hell of a lot more in Phuket, at 5,000 baht vs. 2,000 in Chiang Mai.

One of the posters I ended up taking from Phuket

However, in Chiang Mai, the fights feel a bit more authentic.  First you don't get a bunch of little kids fighting in the early rounds, and you get Thai guys from Bangkok and all over the North which is known as the training grounds for Muay Thai fighters from poor rural areas.  And even though you only get 2,000 baht, you get to keep it all for yourself, instead of giving away half of it to the gym like I had to do at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket.  So at the end of the day, the earnings end up being almost the same.  At TMT they were supposed to take 20% of the fight purse, which is very fair, but for whatever reason, they ended up taking half and never explained why.  I didn't care too much at the time since I just wanted to fight, but it was something that always bugged me.


Best place to fight Chiang Mai vs. Phuket

I used to think Phuket was the obvious choice, with nicer stadiums, more money, bigger crowds and nice fight posters.  But now that I've actually been to a stadium in Chiang Mai, I would say, they both have their pros and cons.  If you're only doing it for experience and not for glamour or fame, then Chiang Mai is a good place to gain fight experience.  You'll get matched up with fighters that are up and coming and there are fights 5 nights a week spread over 3 stadiums so you'll always have a chance to step in the ring.

Phuket would be the better choice however to get more exposure, and better looking fight videos.  The lighting for filming and the venue itself in Phuket is much nicer with bigger crowds so if you're looking for good looking videos then Phuket would be a better choice.  However, when it comes down to it, I'm glad both cities offer the opportunity to get into the ring.

Here's a video from this weekend's fight with Mirkko from Estonia vs. a local thai guy that once fought in the prestigious Lumpinee stadium in Bangkok.  The thai guy was 5kg lighter but had a lot of experience, which is usually the case in Thailand with most fights.





Watch the video in HD.  I'm also happy to announce that Mirkko is extending his stay at KC Muay Thai and is now having his training sponsored by KC Muay Thai.  One of the perks of fighting for your gym and winning is often they'll waive your training costs if they want you to represent the gym in future fights.

It'll be another month or two before I'm back in fight shape but it's good to know how it works so when I do step into the ring i'll have an idea of what's going on.


Warm Regards,

Johnny @ MyFightCamp.com