(Bangkok) Two bare-chested fighters face off in an improvised boxing ring under a Bangkok highway ramp, lit by powerful floodlights and cheered on by an audience eager for thrills: welcome to Fight Club Thailand.
Posted at 9:56 a.m.
In the country where Muay Thai, – Thai boxing – is king, with its flashy stadiums, its stars and its very technical rules, clandestine versions of street fights are multiplying.
“Here, it is not necessary to know how to fight. You just have to have heart and that’s it, ”explains Chana Worasart, co-founder of the club.
Once a month, the thirty-year-old organizes these clandestine fights, partly inspired by the cult film by David Fincher, to allow fans to test their talent, or to evacuate their energy.
This is certainly what convinced Surathat Sakulchue, 23, owner of a daytime grocery store, to join this club founded in 2016.
“It’s very different (from traditional fights),” he told AFP, determined to receive and kick with his feet and fists.
A Facebook group of 73,000 members
Plus, he adds, “Fighting in the middle of the cargo containers around us is both fun and thrilling.”
The timetable for the fights, which are illegal and punishable by one year in prison, is announced on a Facebook group which has 73,000 members.
Opponents are allowed to fight hard in a single three-minute round, with no winner or loser declared.
Over the years, a few safety rules have been introduced: elbowing, grappling, throwing and punching the back of the head are strictly prohibited.
“I’m not opposed to the idea of making it into legal fights, but at the same time we don’t want to lose the underground identity, so the question is where is the balance? explains Chana to AFP.
“We are not asking fighters to kill each other. If you are too tired or too injured to continue, we stop the fight.
After crossing his fists and touching his opponent’s gloves, Ilya Ostroushchenko, a Russian amateur boxer, does not hold back his desire to win.
After kicking his opponent’s chest, he lands a series of punches, and a left hook to the face finally causes his Thai opponent to stumble on the simple rubber mat.
The crowd enthusiastically shouts “Somchai”, the Thai nickname given to him.
Seemingly calm and poised during the fight, the 22-year-old Russian told AFP he was on edge just before stepping into the informal ring.
” My hands are shaking. My knees are also shaking but when I go to the center of the ring, I feel good.