KBX 41: Muay Thai Fight Promotion in Singapore
Leading local fight promotion KBX started the new year with a bang on 22 January 2022 with their 41st event – the first of its kind after two years of inactivity since the pandemic.
Congrats to all fighters for giving it their all! Here's what went down at the Muay Thai event.
Bout 1, 55kg:
Lim Lee Pang (Bia Muay Thai, red) VS Karis (BXG Fitness, blue)
Draw
The event kickstarted with a standoff between nak muay ying fighters from two prominent Muay Thai gyms in the scene. Despite her height disadvantage, Lim put up a good fight with her aggression and clean body shots. The lankier Karis worked in more knees and right kicks instead. Their match ended in a draw.
Image credit: @sleepyphotographers
Bout 2, 65kg:
Cayan (Neue Fit, red) VS Isa (Ghetto Fitness, blue)
Isa won by unanimous decision
The second round was the highlight for us. While Cayan started strong with a steady volume of strikes, Southpaw Isa displayed more aggression and eventually took the win with his heavy punches and clean low kicks.
Bout 3, 56kg:
Jay (Fight Pro-Motion, red) VS Rob (BXG Fitness, blue)
Rob won by unanimous decision
This was hands down one of the most entertaining fights of the event! We were particularly impressed by Rob's teeps and roundhouse kicks, but Jay wasn't lacking either, landing a number of clean body shots, along with a well-timed superman punch in the second round.
Both fighters showed great techniques, which kept us glued to every second of the match. At the end of the day, it was Rob's range control and clinch game that secured the win over his tough opponent.
Bout 4, 64kg:
Rui Yan (Dynamics Combat Academy, red) VS Jerome (Eminent Air, blue)
Jerome won by split decision: 27/30 (blue), 28/29 (red), 28/29 (blue)
Southpaw Rui Yan started the first round strong with a strike volume that was on par with Jerome. However, from round two, Jerome's aggression and knees won the judges over. This was a close one, as we felt that Rui Yan's technical style posed a challenge to his opponent.
Bout 5, 48kg:
Wee Ting (Rebel Gym, red), VS Rachel (LeFit Muay Thai, blue)
Wee Ting won by split decision: 27/29 (blue), 28/29 (red), 28/29 (red)
Round one started out slow with both parties calm and composed. Wee Ting, who's almost a head taller than Rachel, had better reach and managed to keep her opponent at a distance with her teeps. Rachel, on the other hand, had excellent counters and landed a number of good crosses to the face. Wee Ting eventually took the victory, albeit narrowly.
Image credit: @sleepyphotographers
Bout 6, 52kg:
Julianna (Fight Pro-Motion, red) VS Joey (LeFit Muay Thai, blue)
Joey won by unanimous decision
This was another exciting matchup that we really enjoyed watching. Joey of LeFit Muay Thai, an up-and-coming gym in the West, claimed the well-deserved win with her precise head kicks and heavy-handed punches. Nonetheless, kudos to Julianna, who impressed us with her counters and strong fighting spirit.
Bout 7, 55kg:
Darren (Rebel Gym, red) VS Shafiq (LeFit Muay Thai, blue)
Darren won by majority decision, 28/29 (red), 28/28, 28/29 (red)
Round one saw Shafiq asserting his dominance with clean body shots and excellent feints along with a steady stream of low kicks. Darren, who ultimately secured the win, upped the ante in the final round, going all out with his aggressive knees and strong clinch.
Bout 8, 57kg:
Mahaes (Fight Pro-Motion, red) VS Darren (Blessed MMA, blue)
Mahaes won by unanimous decision
Ending the event on a high was the main fight of the evening between two young and aspiring nak muay stars. The action-packed bout saw lots of feints and powerful push kicks by the talented Mahaes, who appeared comfortable despite being pressured by his forward-fighting opponent. While Southpaw fighter Darren put up a good show with his aggression, Mahaes scored with his accurate roundhouse kicks, eventually claiming the match.