Although he was only present during the early years of the Golden Era of Muay Thai, any discussion about this period in history would undoubtedly have to include a chapter on Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn. He was not only a Lumpinee champion but a Golden Era legend who went undefeated in the lightweight division for four years. Dieselnoi faced off against some of the finest Muay Thai and martial arts fighters of his generation, achieving victory over them with his superior knee-fighting styles. While Dieselnoi had to retire early, his name is still regularly featured on all-time Muay Thai fighter lists. Let’s find out more about him.
The Little Diesel Engine’s Childhood
Dieselnoi, loosely means ‘Little Diesel’ or ‘The Little Engine’. However, he was born as Charin Sorndee into a family of charcoal sellers in the Ayutthaya province of Thailand in 1961. Being the youngest in the family, his elder brother and father, who were Muay Thai fans, both pushed for him to learn martial arts. With the family not being rich, young Charin’s prospects weren’t great. He was looking at a life of being a monk or a Muay Thai fighter. Charin picked the latter and started to learn boxing when he was around 12 to 13 years of age.
The family later moved to the Trat province, and Charin’s elder brother took him to the Sor Banchongsak Muay Thai training camp, where the instructor was Banchong Ngarm-ket. Like many Thai fighters, he picked up his fighting name, Dieselnoi Sor Banchongsak, and had his first fight, which he won by knockout. He later switched camps and became Dieselnoi Sor Vorakulchai in Chonburi. Thanks to his height and fighting technique, Dieselnoi quickly gained a reputation in the region and won more than 20 fights.
By age 15, he was representing the Sor Sirinan camp and took the name Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn. He then fought at the Sor Thanikul camp, a talent pool that had just opened in 1977 and was owned by Klaew Thanikul, a famous promoter and controversial figure connected with organized crime. Dieselnoi spent five years at the camp, becoming one of their first champions, which would include names like Bangkhlanoi and Boonlai.
Dieselnoi’s Muay Thai Career
Dieselnoi would achieve the most significant wins of his Muay Thai career while representing the Sor Thanikul camp, including his first Lumpinee Stadium championship title win. He would also win multiple awards for facing off against many famous Muay Thai fighters of the Golden Era. He even made a brief foray into western boxing in the early 1980s, although he didn’t continue for long. Dieselnoi’s Muay Thai career would come to a disappointing and early end, although not through defeat for a lack of skills.
Muay Thai Championships Won by Dieselnoi
Dieselnoi would defeat former champion Kaopong Sitichuchai to win the lightweight division Lumpinee title in 1981. Kaopong Sitichuchai, a future Olympic medal winner, remains one of the few people to have knocked out Dieselnoi. In fact, the two already had some history, with each scoring a win against the other the previous year. Dieselnoi finally managed to get two out of three wins during their championship match.
In 1982, a great Muay Thai event was organized to celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of the Rama dynasty of Thailand. The World Freestyle Martial Arts Championship titles were on the line, and foreign delegations were also invited to participate in the matches held at the Rajadamnern Stadium. Dieselnoi defeated Japanese fighter Shinobu Onuki with a knee strike to the face in the first round and won the 135-pound division title for Thailand.
Famous Fights During the Golden Era of Muay Thai
One of the most iconic all-out-wars of the Golden Age and Era took place in 1982. The rising star of Muay Thai, Samart Payakaroon, had won multiple Lumpinee championships by this point and was voted the Fighter of the Year in 1981 by the Sports Writers Association of Thailand. After beating many famous Muay Thai fighters, he was considered the favorite to win when he went up against Dieselnoi. After all, Samart is more than just one of the Golden Era legends; he is widely regarded as the greatest Muay Thai fighter of all time by many fans.
The fight was heavily promoted to be a grand event, with Rajadamnern Stadium completely packed with fans eager to see what many considered the fight of the century. Both fighters received record-breaking fight purses, with Samart making 350,000 baht and Dieselnoi making 400,000 baht, which was unheard of at the time. Dieselnoi actually had to lose weight to compete since Samart was lighter. The match, which was very close, went on till the fifth round, and Dieselnoi managed to claim the victory on points.
For more than a year after his victory over Samart, Dieselnoi was unable to compete due to the lack of fighters in his weight division. Finally, in 1984, he faced off against Sagat Petchyindee, another Golden Era legend. Sagat was already a multiple championship title-holder at this point, and a skilled boxer specializing in the Muay Mat style of fighting. However, Sagat’s fists were no match for Dieselnoi’s knees, and he was outscored. The two would meet again the same year, with Dieselnoi claiming the victory yet again.
The two fights against Samart and Sagat would earn Dieselnoi Fight of the Year awards in their respective years. The month after he defeated Sagat, Dieselnoi joined a delegation of Muay Thai fighters to fight American kickboxing champions. At a fight that took place at the Olympic Stadium in Los Angeles, Dieselnoi faced off against John Moncayo, who was a full-contact world champion. Even though Moncayo was heavier, Dieselnoi managed to knock him out during the third round with a knee strike.
The Sky Piercing Knee Striker
At a height of 188 centimeters, Dieselnoi was unusually tall for a Muay Thai fighter in the lightweight division. He towered over his peers, which gave him a huge physical advantage over opponents in his weight category and helped him win fights. Dieselnoi was able to aim his straight knee kicks not just at the body like other fighters, but at the head, which is what knocked out many great fighters.
Dieselnoi’s fighting style was derived from a combination of Muay Pram, which involved ancient grappling techniques, and Muay Khao, which uses knee striking. Dieselnoi would first take a guard position with his arms outstretched. This position, while not suitable for martial arts fighters that use punches as their main weapons, allowed him to move into a grapple. Dieselnoi would then close the distance between him and his opponent and employ this grapple, which is usually in the form of a neck clinch.
After getting the neck clinch established, Dieselnoi would get to work using quick knee strikes aimed at the body. This would usually divert the other’s attention to their midsection. At this point, Dieselnoi would try to bend their heads forward, making their chins and face vulnerable to a knock-out blow from his knee. Many of the Golden Era fighters Dieselnoi faced could attest to his proficiency in this technique.
He was so good at executing knockout knee strikes that fans gave him the nickname ’Khun Khao Talufaa’, which means ‘Sky Piercing Knee Kicker’ after defeating another famous knee striker, Posai Sitboonlert. Dieselnoi was only 18 years old at that time. For more on fighting styles, check out A Guide to Five Different Muay Thai Styles.
Dieselnoi’s Early Retirement From Muay Thai
Dieselnoi had very little competition in his weight division and would go for months without any fighting. His final two matches were against Krongsak Na Theerawong, the ‘Temple Warrior’. Their first fight at Rajadamnern Stadium proved to be one of the most violent fights of the year. Although the match became a draw, many fans actually felt Krongsak had beaten Dieselnoi this time. They met again at Lumpinee a few months later, where Dieselnoi got the victory by points.
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Dieselnoi went undefeated as the Lumpinee champion for four years, and ultimately had to hand over his belt due to the lack of competition in his division. He retired soon after, becoming a monk for a while and later a Muay Thai instructor at many camps in Pattaya, Thailand. He was only 24 years old at the time.
While his Muay Thai career was disappointingly short, we must not forget that Dieselnoi defeated some of the best fighters of his time. When competition dried up, he lowered his weight to face Samart Payakaroon and then gained again to meet Sagat Petchyindee, two Golden Era legends who were the best fighters in their respective weight divisions. He represented Thailand at the international level, competing against martial arts fighters such as kickboxers, and won many times.
Muay Thai history is richer for having had Dieselnoi and his trademark straight knee kicks that took down many a tough opponent. He will be remembered as one of the finest Golden Era fighters to ever enter a boxing ring.
FAQs
After dedicating their time and energy to the sport of Muay Thai, many former fighters have chosen to conclude their careers by remaining in the same camps they once trained at, where they can become some of Thailand’s leading Muay Thai trainers. If you go to any of the popular Muay Thai gyms in Thailand, you are sure to meet a few former champions and even train under them.
After holding the 135 lb Lumpinee title for four successful years in a row, he was unfortunately forced to vacate his championship and hang up his gloves since there were no longer any opponents of that weight division who could compete with him.
