Well... I'm back. From Malaysia. Saw the Petronas Towers and, amongst other things, some pretty suspect driving and
the most congested traffic I've ever had the misfortune of experiencing (although in all fairness I actually really
liked Kuala Lumpur overall).
I also got a new 3 month visa whilst I was there, which is great.
Finally, I was also fighting whilst I was there. I know there was no mention of this on the website until now but it
was all very last minute.
Anyway, here's the deal: Dzhabar Askerov had to pull out at the last minute and Stephan Fox
asked me to stand in for him. I was really just getting back into serious training under the assumption that I wouldn't
be fighting for another 3 or 4 weeks. The point is my fitness wasn't as high as I would have liked, and I hadn't been
clinching at all. I got about 5 days notice on the fight, but seeing as my visa was running out a few days later, and
I would need to leave the country anyway, it made sense to just dig in, take the fight, and get a paid trip to
Malaysia along with my new visa and some extra money in my pocket.
There was of course the matter of weight. I needed
to weigh in at 72.5kg and at the time weighed about 79kg (muscle not fat!). I'll save you the details but suffice to
say I managed to cut about 7kg for the weigh in which was at a sports bar in Kuala Lumpur. All very high profile,
with media and sponsors, and a massive venue and screaming fans. Loads of guys from Contender were there. Zidov,
Zack, Yodsanklai, Naruepol, Pitu and Soren. The works. Only myself, Zidov, and Zack were fighting though. Yod and
Narupol were there for the PR, and Pitu and Soren were there to get a new visa and see the show. I sometimes forget
that Contender is quite big in Asia (but not so much in Chiang Mai) and there were loads of autographs and photos
and everything. Anyway, I got off the scales and immediately drank 4 litres of water, then ate, drank and slept until
about 4pm the next day.
The guy I fought was Thai, Southern Champion of Thailand and supposedly pretty good. I was somewhat depressed and
amazingly unsurprised to be told his speciality was clinching and kneeing, the one thing I really lacked due to the
short notice. "Shit", was my first thought.
Yodsanklai did my handwraps for me and helped me warm up and Pitu and Zidov did my corner.
Anyway. I'll keep it short. Round one was very light. I landed a few punches and a few low kicks. He front kicked me
in the face a bit. Nothing major. Round two and the pace picked up. He was trying to get in close and clinch, whilst
I was trying to stay on the outside and box/low kick. Almost ate a nasty high kick but managed to slip out the way at
the last minute. He's slamming knees in the clinch now as well. I can knee back harder but long term I don't have the
fitness for a five round clinch war. In short, the clinch is not where I want to be. Fairly even round, maybe in
favour of me.
Third round more of the same. I try to land hard with low kicks and punches whilst he bulldozes his
way into the clinch. I'm still just about holding my own but I'm beginning to feel the pace with all the grappling.
I get my head pulled down towards the end of the round and cover up as he slams a few knees in. No damage done but
it dosn't look good. His round I think. Round four, and I'm tired. Can hardly keep my hands up but still manage to
crack him with some good punches, and get into the habit of firing off elbows as he comes into clinch, then try
to smother him so the ref breaks us up. I manage to open up a decent cut over his right eye with a cheeky elbow.
He's ahead on points though with all the knees in the clinch.
Last round, round five. Behind on points, very tired.
He steps into clinch and I parry his hand down whilst at the same time firing off this absolute ripper of an elbow,
opening up a huge vertical cut from above his eyebrow down past the bridge of his nose. It's a bloody mess, more so
thirty seconds later after I've sucked up some energy from god knows where and gone on a manic boxing frenzy. Every
punch that connects is solid and you can see the blood and sweat (but mainly blood) spray off his head on impact.
Yummy...
Ref calls time. Doctor looks at the cut, realises he can fit his index finger about an inch and a half
inside the wound, and wisely decides to call it a day. Woo hoo! I'm tired. And very pleased. I also won a belt. A shiny new belt. This pleases me more.
I spend about thirty minutes trying to get from the ring to my locker room (taking photos and signing autographs),
before heading back to the hotel with the others. We shower, change clothes (as in, put on
clean ones, not change with one another) and head straight out to a club. I drink 2 litres of whiskey and coke
(note to self: after a hard fight, don't rehydrate with spirits) and eventually make it back to the hotel by about
5am.
I grab my bags, check out, hop in a cab with Yod and Naruepol, and head to the airport. Yod and Narupol
head back to Bangkok, and I catch the 8am flight to Chiang Mai, arriving about 11am, at which point I head to the gym
and parade around the streets with my belt a bit before going to get some coffee. And here I am. Still havn't slept
since the fight... will need to do some of that soon (sleeping).
For more photos check out this blog.