This post will be different than my prior posts in that this is an account of my own experience. I usually write about other fighters, but I had a lot of people ask what it was like to fight in MMA gloves, and also how wearing a female groin protector was like. BE PREPARED to read the word “crotch” many many times.
October 19, 2019. It was a typical evening in Bangkok for most. At the tail end of monsoon season, the country wasn’t out of the clear just yet when it came in rain. The air was thick with heat and humidity. The inaugural show of Muay Hardcore hadn’t even started, and the small section outside of Baan Chao Praya was already filled with bodies. Fighters, Muay Thai enthusiasts, and passerby were all huddled around the ring, trying to find the best space among the bleachers and standing areas. Sweat rolled down the sides of even the most resistant of people. A short walk down into a parking garage were where all the fighters for the show were. A few tables were set up to sit around and to lay down on. Some were getting their hands wrapped or their bodies oiled. Some were shadowboxing. All the fighters were in that space together, in full view of each other. There was no air conditioning or other frills.
The inaugural show of Muay Hardcore on October 19 was shown on Channel 8 and was promoted by the TV’s studio’s longer-running Super Champ 8 show. The entire card showcased Muay Thai in MMA gloves in three-round bouts. Most of the fights ended by knockout. The main event was a rematch between Sawsing Sor. Sopit and Brooke Farrell. This bout made history in Thailand as the first televised female Muay Thai match with MMA gloves. You can read about this bout more in detail here: Brooke Farrell vs Sawsing Sor. Sopit II: A Photo Essay
