Muay Thai is the national sport of Thailand and considered the most reputed sport across the whole country. Like any other martial arts, it is also a kind of stand-up combat style structured on “Art of Eight Limbs.” In Muay Thai, a fighter uses a complete set that includes punches, elbows, knees, and kicks. It is not the same as “fists fight” or “four contact points”. Head-butts and grappling of opponents are also legal in Muay Thai. Muay Thai fighters are blessed with numerous benefits of Muay fighting. These benefits are self-defence, burning calorie, mental toughness, and low blood pressure.
Muay Thai
It is a fact that Muay Thai has become a popular sport in the world. Still, its popularity depends upon Muay Thai fighter's outstanding professional careers, which struggled hard to promote Muay Thai across the world. Many brave men of Thailand embraced Muay Thai or Thai boxing as a proper profession to master their skills. Among the many warriors, ten Muay Thai fighters rocked the world by engraving their names forever in Muay Thai sport's history.
In this article, the ten most legendary fighters of Muay Thai are being discussed. Irrespective of any particular order, these famous Thai fighters, of past and present, are listed below:
Samart Payakaroon is the most reputed person in the history of Muay Thai. Famously known as Muhammad Ali of Muay Thai World, Samart is also considered the greatest of all time (GOAT). Samart received his training from the iconic Yodtong Senanan, the grandmaster of Sityodtong Camp and Muay Thai.
Samart is known for his master technique of push kicks that is still unparalleled. He has won the Lumpinee Championship four times. After entering boxing, Samart won a WBC junior featherweight title.
Samart retired by holding an outstanding Muay Thai record of 129 wins, 19 draws, and two losses. Currently, Samart runs a gym in Bangkok called “Samart Payakaroon Gym.”
Samart Payakaroon
Chamuakpetch is a legendary fighter of Muay Thai’s golden era. He is the most decorated warrior of Muay Thai’s history. He has won the Lumpinee championship four times and the Rajdamnem title five times.
Primarily a knee fighter and a master clincher, his execution was precise. Chamuakpetch was the best all-rounder who won the “Fighter of the Year'' award in 1985. He beat several famous Muay Thai fighters such as Sangtiennoi Sor Rungroi, Samart and Kongthoranee Payakaroon.
Chamuakpetch Harpalang
Saenchai is a strong and growing Muay Thai fighter who is not only a tough fighter for his native fighters but also the opponents around the world. He won his first championship of the Lumpinee super flyweight title at the age of 15. Later on, Saenchai started winning Lumpinee categories such as bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight.
Sanchai was also named the Sports Writers Fighter of the Year 1999 and 2008. There was also an incredible match in which Saenchai beat two opponents in a single match held in 2009. Those opponents were Petchboonchu FA Group and Sagetdao Petpayathai.
Currently, Saenchai holds a professional record of Muay Thai with the astonishing stats of 285-52-2.
Saenchai
Samart’s older brother, Kongtoranee, was the successive Muay Thai fighter of his time. He held Lumpinee titles of five different divisions. He fought a famous boxing match in which he challenged Khaosai Galaxy for the world championship. He also had a fruitful occupation in boxing.
The statistics of Kongtoranee’s Muay Thai consists of 200 wins and 74 draws.
Dieselnoi was also a famous fighter of Muay Thai combat of the 20th century. He is regarded as a star of Muay Thai’s golden era. Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukam was able to secure his Lumpinee lightweight championship in 1981. He held the lightweight title for almost four years. In 1985, he decided to retire from Muay Thai and renounced his title as there was no one of his tier that could beat him.
It is very interesting to know that when a match was held between Samart Payakaroon and Diesel Chor, he failed to win over Samart. That match is among the biggest matches of Muay Thai.
Diesel took retirement from Muay Thai with the statistics of 110-10 and 2 losses.
Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukam
Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn is famously known as “The Emperor” and holds an astonishing record in Muay Thai. He played almost three hundred matches for Muay Thai in which he won 285 matches. This ratio describes what a legendary fighter Namsaknoi was.
In his career, he won many titles in multiple divisions. For nearly half a decade, Namsaknoi held the Lumpinee lightweight championship. He also held other titles of other divisions, such as Lumpinee flyweight that is 115 lbs and Lumpinee bantamweight that is 122 lbs. He was also rewarded with Sports Writer’s Fighter of the Year 1996. Namsaknoi was very popular for his Wai Kru, and he won the Wai Kru award twice in 2001 and 2006.
Later, he joined Rattachai Gym, situated in Phuket and started training for Muay Thai. Namsaknoi’s record of Muay Thai consisted of 285 wins and 15 draws.
Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn
Nontachai Sit O is another Muay Thai fighter who won his first major championship of the Lumpinee bantamweight division. Gradually, as his weight got improved, he won the Lumpinee middleweight championship at Rajdamnem Stadium.
Nontachai won many titles in his fighting career. He was a veteran who has over 250 Muay Thai fights. His exact record is still unknown for several reasons, but his legacy is very much alive.
Sagetdao Petphayathai was another starfighter among the other stars who beat several Muay Thai fighters regarded as the best of their times. In his era of winning, he beat Petboonchu FA Group, Nong-O Gaiyagandao, Penek Sitnumnoi, and Saenchai Sor Kingstar.
Sagetdao had many victories in Muay Thai fights. He won Lumpinee super featherweight, featherweight and Lumpinee lightweight titles. He has a Muay Thai record of 162-62-1.
Sagetdao Petphayathai
Unlike any other Muay Thai fighter, Buakaw has got more international exposure. He has a well-known reputation for promoting Muay Thai in the international world. He is one among many Muay Thai fighters that are recognized all over the world.
Buakaw has an aggressive style of combat. His punches and kicks were so fierce that his opponents got knocked out in no time. Technically, he was not the best Muay Thai fighter, but his popularity was independent of his success. After retirement, Buakaw started giving training Muay Thai in different gyms.
Buakaw Banchamek
As a bantamweight and featherweight champion, Pornsanae’s career is full of various titles and exciting battles. At the Siam Omnoi stadium, he won the Rajdamnem title. His most thrilling fight involves the matches against Pokaew Fonjaengchonburi and Pakorn Sakyotin. He was named “Lumpinee Fighter of the Year 2010.” The Muay Thai statistics of Pornsanae is 200-54-8.
Pornsanae Sitmonchai
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