Muay Thai is a sport that allows fighters to punch, kick, knee, and elbow each other to their heart’s content for up to five rounds, many of whom refuse to back down even after facing challenges that would test the resilience of any individual.
All of this creates a recipe for entertaining fights. The risk that fighters take just standing in the ring is enough to keep a crowd on the edge of their seats. That being said, there are still some fights that are considered insane, even by the standards of hardcore fans. We’ve collected five of the wildest fights in Muay Thai history, ranging from the Golden Era of stadium Muay Thai up to the present day, with 4oz gloves and a global ruleset.
1) Pakorn Sakyothin VS Pornsanae Sitmonchai I: “The Round”
Pakorn and Pornsanae were undoubtedly two of the most aggressive fighters of their era. Both embodied the definition of “Muay Bouk,” stalking their opponents across the ring and unleashing as much power as possible with every strike, so a fight between them was bound to result in fireworks.
The two men met for the first time at Lumpinee Stadium in March of 2010 and what resulted was the Muay Thai equivalent of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. The bout started with Pakorn charging forward in search of the clinch while Pornsanae punished him with punches on the back foot. Things continued in this fashion until round four when both men opened the round with one of the most chaotic exchanges in Muay Thai history. Both men traded punches in the center of the ring, testing their jaws without any attempts to defend themselves. The round continued with all the savagery and drama you’d expect from a Hollywood movie, with the only breaks in action being for a brief second when one man was staggered from a mighty punch before he launched himself back into the fray.
This intensity continued into round five, with Pakorn using a few inside leg sweeps and body kicks to edge his way to victory.
The two men rematched immediately in Rajadamnern in another massive fight and win for Pakorn but it was this first fight that is most celebrated, with the insane fourth interval still being referred to, simply as “The Round” by Muay Thai fans around the world.
2) Sakmongkol Sithchuchok Vs Jongsanan Fairtex V: “The Elbow fight”
Of all the famous rivalries in Muay Thai, the seven-fight epic between Jongsanan and Sakmongkol is one that many fans consider the most thrilling. Sakmongkol was an aggressive southpaw with a powerful left leg and the willingness to take a hit if it meant there was a chance to hurt his opponent. Jongsanan, known as “The Wooden Man” for his durability, was an equally aggressive elbow fighter. Whenever the two met, neither man was willing to back down, making for some spectacular battles of physical aggression and mental fortitude.
Of their seven classic battles, it is their fifth that stands out as the most physically demanding and mentally grueling. The first round starts in classic stadium fashion with both men easing into the fight, finding their range with low-risk weapons such as hands and leg kicks. Early in the second round Sakmongkol rocks “The Wooden Man” with a powerful right uppercut, eventually dropping him for a count in the neutral corner. The two men spend the remainder of the round either trading massive punches or mirroring each other in a half-collar tie while they take turns smashing elbows into their opponent’s forehead.
Neither man slows down for the remainder of the fight. In the third round, the two men trade more massive punches and savage elbows. Occasionally Sakmongkol disengages to throw a few of his trademark left kicks but it isn’t long before Jongsanan locks into the clinch to land punishing knees. Then, in round four, both men lock into a clinch for a battle of knees and elbows, rarely breaking apart for the whole three minutes. The fight concludes with the same intensity, though both men trade kicks at a longer range, occasionally launching forward in an attempt to land the final elbow of the fight.
Sakmongkol was the man who had his hand raised at the end of the final round, but it is very rare for anyone to refer to this fight in terms of winners and losers. Instead, it is simply called “The Elbow Fight,” and is widely regarded as one of the best and most brutal fights in Muay Thai history.
3) Pongsiri “Rambo” Por Ruamrudee vs Pairojnoi Sor Siamchai: The Fight Of The Century
If you take the savage power strikes of “The Round,” combine it with the high-paced intensity of “The Elbow Fight” and pump it full of steroids, you’d get something close to “The Fight Of The Century.” This 1988 bout is heralded as the most insane display of pugilism of all time and honestly needs to be seen to be believed.
Both fighters launched themselves from their corners like men possessed at the opening bell and for the next fifteen minutes neither one of them was willing to yield an inch of ground. There wasn’t a single second where one man wasn’t punching, kicking, kneeing, or elbowing his opponent with all the power he could muster.
There are no words we can write that could capture the insanity of this fight. So, you’re just going to have to watch it and marvel at the superhuman feats of athleticism, grit, and determination that made The Sportswriters Association of Thailand crown this epic “The Fight of The Century.”
4) Liam Harrison Vs Muangthai PK Saenchai: “The 5-Knockdown Round”
Two Muay Thai legends, five devastating knock-downs, and one action-packed round are just some of the ingredients that made the ONE Championship 2022 Fight of the Year a spectacle that fans will be talking about for years to come.
When 8-time world champion, Liam “The Hitman” Harrison was matched to fight 3-time Lumpinee Stadium Champion, the “Elbow Zombie,” Muangthai, fans expected a show. Both men were aggressive fighters, known for fast-paced fights and highlight-reel knockouts. Having them matched in 4oz gloves was just the icing on the cake for one of ONE’s most anticipated bouts of the year.
What the two men delivered in that cage on that night was nothing short of spectacular. Muangthai knocked Harrison down twice in the space of fifteen seconds, first with a head kick that resulted in a wound on Harrison’s forehead and then again with a heavy right hand that could be heard echoing out across the arena.
It was do-or-die for Harrison who was rocked and just one knockdown away from defeat, so when Muangthai charged, he steeled his resolve and sent his opponent to the canvas with his tremendous combination of punches. Seizing the opportunity to leap on his dazed opponent, Harrison followed up with relentless punches and clutched victory from the jaws of defeat by delivering two more eight counts within the next few seconds in a display that even veteran Muay Thai commentator, Michael Schiavello, described as “nuts,” and “crazy.”
Harrison was awarded a USD 100,000 bonus for his part in the most insane 139 seconds of Muay Thai in ONE Championship history. If you haven’t seen it yet, watch the above video and you’ll see that he earned every part of it.
5) Seksan Or Kwanmuang Vs Tyson Harrison: “The Legend Vs The Phenomenon”
ONE Championship kicked off its “ONE Friday Night Fights” card in January 2022 with one of the wildest Muay Thai slugfests ever fought at Lumpinee Stadium. What makes it even more insane, is that it was fought between a multiple world and stadium champion from Thailand and a young and relatively unknown Australian, with only a fraction of his experience.
Despite this, “The Man Who Yields To No One” Seksan and his young adversary, Tyson Harrison delivered absolute mayhem from bell to bell, with the young Australian gaining the respect from fans around the world for the impressive display.
The fight started with the much taller, Harrison, mixing body kicks with his punches and knees while Seksan charged in close with elbows to negate his immense reach advantage. Before long, the pair had done away with kicks and were trading punch for punch, elbow for elbow while the crowd screamed out above the ONE commentators. With intensity to match the famous “Elbow Fight,” the two men charged at each other in the second round, with Harrison finding a home for massive right uppercuts, eventually rocking Seksan and sending him into the corner under a barrage of punches. The veteran rallied and in the third round added a few jumping knees, spinning elbows, and kicks to gain a narrow split-decision victory that divided the Muay Thai world.
The bout was an instant classic and definitely set the standard that every fighter performing on the ONE: Friday Fight’s card endeavored to reach. It earned Seksan a USD 50,000 bonus and made the unknown, Harrison, a household name for Muay Thai fans around the globe.
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