World Muay Thai lightweight champion Jomthong Chuwattana showed his punching prowess with an emphatic KO stoppage of rival Thongchai Sitthongsak at Lumpinee on Tuesday.
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| Jomthong, left, is a beautiful kicker and also strong in the grapple. |
As well as being a Muay Thai superstar, Jomthong is the reigning Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation champion and wants to be the first fighter to jointly hold world titles for both international boxing and Muay Thai.
There had been talks that Jomthong would have trouble adapting to both combat disciplines at the same time. But if Tuesday's performance is any indication of the Thai champion's multi-talents in the ring, then he has a very real good chance of going all the way to the top in both sports.
There's no doubt that Jomthong is gifted with superb natural fighting talent. For the past three years he has dominated in the Muay Thai ring against top ranked opponents with exquisite aplomb earning him the reputation for having "perfect motion." He's a beautiful kicker and also strong in the grapple. If he has any weakness it would be his tendency to drift through the later rounds after taking control early.
But since turning to professional boxing he has developed a steely resolve to end the contest quickly _ after all 12 rounds of championship boxing is a long game for Thai fighters who are used to five three minute stanzas of ring warfare.
That new found determination to dominate and finish the contest as fast and efficiently as possible was evident in the fight strategy Jomthong adopted against Thongchai, who appeared shell-shocked by his opponent's hard punches and relentless pressure.
The knockout came quickly in the third round after Jomthong's unleashed a barrage of punches. During the second round Thongchai was reeling from the punches and struggled to stand upright.
Before the fight Jomthong said he was looking forward to having an emphatic "away" win, as it wasn't often that he travelled to Lumpinee from his home turf at Rajadamnern.
"Punching is a weapon that is sometimes underrated in Muay Thai," Jomthong told reporters after winning the fight.
Jomthong explained that he has long arms and can throw a punch at distance from all angles.
"The punch travels more distance than an elbow. A fast punch can be a surprise and a dangerous weapon," he said.
Jomthong is likely to defend his OPBF title at Rajadamnern in the near future. A successful defence will get him into the WBC top 20 world rankings for an international title shot and then he can press for the world title.
"I love Muay Thai. Even if I were to win the WBC title I would still cherish holding the WBC Muay Thai world title. Winning the boxing world title would be good for Thai sports, as well as making me a more complete fighter," he said.
