Buakaw Banchamek is one of the most admired martial artists in both modern Muay Thai and kickboxing. He has led one of the most celebrated careers with 240 wins and 73 knockouts, won multiple world championships, starred in action films, retired briefly, changed his fighting name, and made a successful comeback. Buakaw Banchamek has also contributed immensely to popularizing Muay Thai on the world stage.
Find out how Buakaw Banchamek got his start, his early Muay Thai career, his entry into kickboxing, and his fallout with the Por. Pramuk Gym, finding success in China with the Kunlun Fight tournaments, his appearances on the silver screen, how he continues to stay relevant in martial arts, and what his future plans may be.
Childhood Of Buakaw Banchamek
Buakaw Banchamek was born in the village of Ban Ko Kaeo in Thailand’s Surin province in 1982 as Sombat Banchamek. Muay Thai was a very fast-growing sport during the height of the Golden Era in the 80s, and it was the elder brother who used to watch Muay Thai on television that introduced the young Sombat to boxing.
When Sombat was about 7 years old, he attended a local Muay Thai fighting event where he saw how the crowd went wild and burst into applause before the fight even began. This made such a lasting impression on young Sombat that by the time the show ended, he asked his parents for permission to train as a fighter.
Buakaw’s Early Career In Muay Thai
In the early days, Sombat trained at home with his brother and his father acted as a manager, finding him fights to compete in. Sombat fought in local events near his village, and by the age of 12, was discovered by Pramuk Rochannatan, the boxing promoter who ran the Por. Pramuk Gym. Later, Sombat moved to the gym located in Chachoengsao and changed his name to Damtamin Kiat-anan, kicking off his career in Muay Thai.
While Banchamek was a great fighter, winning many matches in his home province with his exceptional fighting skills, he failed to achieve much success during these early days while competing at the national level. In 1997, Sombat Banchamek took on the fighting name ‘Buakaw’, which means ‘White Lotus’, and began to compete in Bangkok under the new moniker ‘Buakaw Por. Pramuk’.
The White Lotus Wins His First Championship Title
Banchamek’s first title win in Thailand was the Featherweight title of Omnoi Stadium in 2001, a highly regarded regional title, although it is not on the same level of prestige as the title of Lumpinee or Rajadamnern stadium. Banchamek would then become the Professional Boxing Association of Thailand Featherweight Champion the same year, and win the Lightweight Champion title at Omnoi Stadium in 2002. He then won the Toyota Muay Thai Marathon Tournament 140 lbs title in 2002 against a notable fighter from Japan, Satoshi Kobayashi, which was the biggest win in his early Muay Thai days.
Banchamek lost most of his early matches at the Lumpinee Stadium and never won a major Lumpinee championship title there. He competed for the Featherweight title in 2001 against Charlie Sor Chaitamin at the Lumpinee 45th Anniversary show but lost. A win here would’ve made him a superstar in his home country, but this level of success continued to elude him.
Finding International Stardom In Kickboxing With K-1
Banchamek finally got the break he was destined for when he was invited to compete professionally in the K-1 Max tournament organized by the premier kickboxing promoter of the time. In 2004, he beat the Australian kickboxing champion, John Wayne ‘The Gunslinger’ Parr, in the quarter-finals and the Japanese kickboxer, Taishin Kohiruimaki, in the semi-finals. He then beat Japanese kickboxing star Masato Kobayashi in the finals to become the K-1 Max 2004 World Champion.
The following year, Banchamek made it to the finals of K-1 Max again, and it seemed like he would repeat his success. He fought Dutch kickboxer Andy Souwer but lost in the extra round in a highly controversial decision. However, Buakaw got his shot at a rematch against Souwer in the 2006 K-1 Max World title fight and won with a technical knockout in the second round with a right cross.
By this point, Buakaw Banchamek was the only fighter to win the K-1 Max World title twice, and his world-class skill at kickboxing was quickly catapulting him to stardom. He had finally arrived at an international platform where he was getting all the attention he deserved. To learn more about the differences between Muay Thai and kickboxing, read Muay Thai vs. Kickboxing.
During this time, Banchamek continued to fight in Muay Thai as well, becoming World Muay Thai Council (WMC) Super Welterweight World Champion in 2006 against fellow Thai fighter Jomhod Kiatadisak, and then successfully defending the title against Armenian-Italian fighter Giorgio Petrosyan in 2007. He also tried to qualify for the K-1 Max World Championship competition in 2007 but lost in the quarter-finals to an old rival, Masato.
Shoot Boxing, And Thai Fight
Displeased with some of the official decisions given at the K-1 tournaments, Buakaw Banchamek grew frustrated and entered the Shoot Boxing World Tournament in 2010 instead of continuing with K-1. Shoot Boxing was a combination of kickboxing and shooting wrestling, which allowed standing submission moves like chokeholds as well as armlocks. Banchamek defeated the American mixed martial artist Toby Imada to become the Shoot Boxing S-cup World Champion.
Later in 2011, Banchamek won the WMC World Junior Middleweight title and started competing in Muay Thai matches organized by Thai Fight. He became the Thai Fight 70 kg Tournament Champion in 2011 and 2012. Banchamek is also undefeated, going 11-0 during his time at Thai Fight.
Yokkao Sponsorship
Banchamek attended the Muay Thai Combat Fan Expo held in Italy, which was organized by Yokkao founder Phillip Villa to promote the combat sport. Banchamek, who had signed up as a Yokkao-sponsored fighter, was joined by other great fighters like Saenchai and Sudsakorn Sor Klinmee. At the Yokkao Extreme 2012 competition held in Milan, he defeated Russian fighter Dzhabar Askerov in front of thousands of fans.
Parting Ways With Por. Pramuk Camp
It was in March 2012 that signs of a rift between Buakaw Banchamek and his gym, Por. Pramuk first started appearing. At first, many newspapers reported that the starfighter had gone missing and had not arrived at his training camp. Later, Banchamek would go on a Thai TV talk show, voicing his frustrations about his gym, unpaid fees that he was due, mismanagement issues that he had experienced since 2009, and his decision to leave the gym. Shortly after this, he started training at the Banchamek gym, which was established with the help of his new sponsor, Yokkao Boxing.
Banchamek was scheduled to appear in a Thai Fight match but was prevented from participating by Por. Pramuk gym, which still had him under contract. Buakaw then filed a complaint with the Sports Authority of Thailand for unfair treatment. He attended the Thai Fight Extreme competition without permission from his gym and knocked out his Russian opponent, Rustem Zaripov, in the second round to claim victory.
Lawsuits and countersuits followed between Thai Fight, which sided with Banchamek and his old gym, Por. Pramuk. A frustrated Banchamek even announced his retirement at one point, although the parties involved finally came to an agreement. When the dust finally settled, Buakaw Por. Pramuk was no more, and he began fighting under the new name of Buakaw Banchamek, which was his very own surname.
Buakaw Banchamek’s Comeback
In August 2012, Buakaw Banchamek returned to Muay Thai and won against Toure Abdoul at the Thai Extreme event held in England. Later in December, he won the Thai Fight 2012: King of Muay Thai Tournament by defeating Belarusian fighter Vitaly Gurkov in the finals.
The following year, he knocked out David Calvo with a left hook in the first round of the K-1 Max World Championship, Zhou Zhipeng by decision in the quarter-finals, and Lee Sung-Hyun by unanimous decision in the semi-finals. The 2014 K-1 Max competition final, held in Pattaya, Thailand, was against Enriko Kehl, although Banchamek lost this match by forfeit.
During this time, Buakaw Banchamek also won the 2014 WBC Muaythai Diamond World Championship and the 2014 WMC Junior Middleweight World Championship, which he successfully defended the next year.
Buakaw Banchamek Finds Success In China
Banchamek would find acclaim with a new audience, this time in China when he participated in the Kunlun Fight events. Between 2015 and 2016, he had a series of wins against China’s best fighters. In 2016, he won the Kunlun Fight Muay Thai Middleweight World Championship by defeating French kickboxer Dylan Salvador.
The Fight Of The Century Events
The two Wu Lin Feng events, promoted as ‘Fight of the Century’ were some of the highlights of Banchamek’s career in China. He headlined these events with his opponent, Yi Long, who specialized in Shaolin Kung Fu and Chinese Wushu. The two fights were heavily marketed as Muay Thai vs. Kung Fu, drawing massive crowds to witness the epic battle between these two highly-skilled world-class level champions.
Banchamek won the fight in 2015 by unanimous decision, although the 2016 match was won by Yi Long. Many still argue that this was a controversial decision since the Thai fighter had seemed the clear winner, having successfully blocked most of his opponents’ attacks and having displayed superior offensive fighting skills. A third fight could settle the argument for good, although it has not happened yet.
Buakaw Banchamek’s Fighting Style
Buakaw Banchamek is a fighter that can be very aggressive and is always moving forward to take the fight to his opponent. He is known for making fights dynamic and is one of the most entertaining for a live audience. If it’s a Banchamek fight, you can be sure it’s not going to be boring to sit through, but rather an exciting treat to watch.
However, deceptively, Banchamek seems to be a martial artist that has a very high ring IQ, adapting to the opponent in front of him rather than sticking to any one style. If Banchamek spots a weakness, he will go straight for it. Buakaw frequently enters a range where his opponent is uncomfortable and where he excels. He’s also known for stringing together many sophisticated strikes that complement each other and set up the next strike in the chain.
From his time contending in K-1 fights, Banchamek had to get used to fighting with kickboxing rules. This has allowed him to fully master his boxing skills and even throw in western-style punches into his Muay Thai strike combos whenever he sees the best opportunity to use them. His left leg, which is his lead leg, is also known for his fast low kick, mid, and high kick.
Banchamek keeps his body in peak physical condition with a rigorous daily training regimen that keeps him in fighting shape. With his mixture of fighting styles, he is sure to be remembered as one of the best fighters in modern Muay Thai.
Movies Starring Buakaw Banchamek
Banchamek’s world-class skill set in Muay Thai and kickboxing hasn’t just helped him win fights in the ring but has also landed him a few movie roles. He first got a minor role in Yamada: The Samurai of Ayothaya in 2010, which was an action film based on the Japanese adventurer and historical figure Yamada Nagamasa. In this movie, Banchamek starred alongside some of his championship title-holding peers like Saenchai, Yodsanklai, and Anuwat Kaewsamrit.
In 2017, Banchamek landed the lead role in Thong Dee Fun Khao (Legend of the Broken Sword Hero), a period piece about Phraya Phichai, a hero of Siam who lived in the 18th century. The film’s director, Bin Bunluerit, specifically wanted Buakaw Banchamek to take on the historical role, citing the many similarities between the two fighters’ journeys of self-discovery and learning martial arts.
Opening Banchamek Gym
The Banchamek Gym in Surin was set up with the help of Buakaw Banchamek’s official sponsor, Yokkao Boxing, which is a maker of premium fighting and protective gear. The gym wasn’t just for Banchamek’s personal training; it was also meant as a way for him to give back to his own community and help the children from his hometown learn Muay Thai.
A second gym was opened in Bangkok but was later relocated to Chiang Mai. This training center which is called ‘Buakaw Village’, gives the visiting tourists a chance to learn some Thai boxing, try some local cuisine at its own restaurants, and enjoy full accommodation while on their holiday.
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship
It was announced in July 2022 that Buakaw Banchamek had signed up with the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). The BKFC approached Banchamek, who took the offer, feeling that bare-knuckle fighting was a very fast-growing sport that is similar to Muay Thai and was the next logical step to take in his career. Banchamek hopes to introduce bare-knuckle fighting to a Thai audience, who he believes will be attracted to the more dynamic fights that will result from aspects like its unique circular roped stage.
In his first-ever BKFC competition held in Bangkok, Banchamek fought against Turkish kickboxer Erkan Varol and defeated him with a knockout punch in the very first round. While it’s too early to tell for sure, it seems like Banchamek may have made another successful transition to a new martial arts discipline.
Banchamek The Degree Holder
Buakaw Banchamek has not forgotten his studies either and graduated in 2016 from Rattana Bundit University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Banchamek took business administration since he felt it would be beneficial to his career and also took the opportunity to play on his university’s football team during his time there.
Buakaw Banchamek has also received two honorary degrees for his outstanding contribution to combat sports and for popularizing Muay Thai around the world. The first is a Master of Sports Science degree from Kasetsart University for his contribution as an athlete in Thailand, and a Ph.D. in Regional Development Strategies from Surindra Rajabhat University for being an ambassador of Muay Thai.
One Of The Best In Muay Thai
Buakaw Banchamek is not just one of the best martial artists in Muay Thai and kickboxing. He is also a world champion who has represented his home country of Thailand and consistently brought fame and recognition at a world-class level. He has several belts to his name in more than one style of competition, including WMC, Omnoi Stadium, K-1, Thai Fight, Shoot Boxing, and more. He is a degree holder and an action movie star.
Buakaw Banchamek is known for making fights dynamic, entertaining, and, to this day, an absolutely exciting treat to watch at a live event. Banchamek is still one of the best modern martial artists of his generation and a fan favorite, many of whom eagerly wait to see him in action at the next BKFC competition. Judging by Banchamek’s fighting record and his own world-class skill in multiple disciplines, he is unlikely to disappoint.
FAQs
If you’re looking for an exciting and challenging way to stay in shape while traveling in Phuket, learning Muay Thai is the perfect solution. Phuket is world-renowned for its Muay Thai schools and offers top-notch instruction from experienced trainers. Many schools offer both group classes and private lessons that cater to all expertise levels from beginner to advanced. Additionally, training camps are a great option for anyone looking for a more immersive experience in Muay Thai. With so many locations offering classes, it’s easy to find a place to learn Muay Thai in Phuket that meets your needs!
For a beginner to Muay Thai, it is important to not overdo it. More frequent or harder training sessions may lead to injury. To remain safe and progress steadily, it is recommended to attend classes two to three times a week. This gives you enough time to recover your muscles between sessions and go into each training feeling well-rested. Practicing basics outside of class, such as shadow boxing, is also beneficial and allows the trainee to gradually build
