2019 is shaping up to be a busy year for Muay Thai superstar, Buakaw Banchamek, and an exciting one for his fans. After 2 headlining stints on All Star Fight since the start of the year, another sizzling matchup is on the card for the global fighting icon.
Come 8 October, Buakaw will make his promotional debut for the game-changing Martialism Square (MAS Fight). He is set to take on one of the most notable adversaries in his career: the Shaolin monk, Yi Long.
MAS Fight held a press conference on Monday, 11 March at the Pathumwan Princess Hotel to officially announce this upcoming battle. Hosted by MAS Fight CEO, Mr Tony Chen and director, Mr Sasan Ghosairi, the spotlight of the media event was naturally on the 2 leading men.
Three years on since their last memorable fight in 2016, the foes are now set for what could be the concluding chapter of a trilogy.
At one win to each fighter, this could be the last opportunity for both parties to settle the score once and for all.
Under the MAS Fight rules, Buakaw and Yi Long will go head to head in one single round contest of 9 minutes in stand up combat. Knees, punches, kicks and elbows are all fair game, and throws (sweeps, trips) are also allowed.
There will be no judges to score the fight and winning is by knockout ONLY. In the event where there is no knockout, the fight will be ruled as a draw.
The Muay Thai superstar is expected to go all out to set the record straight and avenge the controversial loss in the two fighters’ second meet.
However, taking into consideration Yi Long’s notorious iron jaw, the match up is not as one-sided as many might think. With MAS’ “win only by KO” rule, 5oz MAS Fight gloves and a 9-minute round, anything can happen.
“I don’t want to talk about the results of the past fights. I am definitely looking forward to this fight. Personally, I think the MAS rules are very fair… The goal is to knock him out because it is the only way to win”, said Buakaw.
Here’s where it gets even more interesting: the organizers are introducing a crowd/fans-funded incentive for the winner of the fight in a winner-takes-all encounter.
The Banchamek camp is putting in a 50 million Thai baht side bet as a start, and Buakaw is also putting his purse on the line. Yi Long agreed to the terms without hesitation. The Shaolin monk added,
“If I win this fight, I will put the money to good use by working with the organizers and non-profit organizations to help the underprivileged.”
MAS Fight has a series of events lined up around Asia in the months leading up to the climactic showdown between Buakaw and Yi Long. Mr Tony Chen also revealed that organizers in Bangkok, Shanghai and Hong Kong are now contesting to be the host country for the October 8 historical event.
Ticketing and venue information will be released in the coming months. Stay tuned for more updates on the event.
Update: The fight was called off after Yi Long sustained an injury during training ahead of the event.
