Coban Lookchaomaesaitong

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Coban Lookchaomaesaitong
Statistics
Realname Banlu Anwiset
Nickname The Cruncher
Height 5 ft. 4 in.
Weight 135 lbs.
Nationality Flag of Thailand Thai
Birth date August 4, 1966 (1966-08-04) (age 41)
Birth place Buriram, Thailand
Style Muay Thai
Team Camp Lookchaomaesaitong
Kickboxing Record
Total fights ~ 270
Wins ~ 250
Wins by KO ~ 90
Losses ~ 20

Coban "The Cruncher" Lookchaomaesaitong (born August 4, 1966) is a former professional Muay Thai boxer and World Champion. He won his first world title in 1985. He retired in 2000 after a 23-year career in Thailand and moved to New York to coach.

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[edit] Biography

Coban was born as Banlu Anwiset in Buriram, Thailand near Cambodian border to a farmers' family of seven. One day while attending a local temple fair, he noticed that fighters were making what looked like easy money with their exhibitions. Seeing this as an opportunity to help his family, he resolved to become the best fighter in Thailand, and dreamed about fighting in Lumpinee stadium someday.

At 11, he started to train muay thai. With no money or resources, he made his own equipment by stuffing rice hulls and sawdust into canvas rice bags. Mimicking the moves of local fighters he practiced daily after attending school and completing his farming chores. That same year he entered his first fight at a local temple, which resulted in a draw. The little money he earned went towards his family and education. Thus his career was born.

It was at this time that Banlu acquired his fight name "Coban", meaning cowboy in thai. A teacher once said he looked like a cowboy (Charles Bronson) while riding on his buffalo and since then the name stuck. Later on his career he was named " The Cruncher", by his fans and friends.

[edit] Career

One day in 1978, while training at the recreational center, a ringside doctor, Sam Rhung Jong Gon, noticed him. He was so impressed with Coban’s determination that he became his official sponsor and mentor. When Coban was 13, Doctor Gon sent hin to a Muay Thai camp called Lookchamaesaitong where he trained for the next 9 years. By age 15 he had already fought more than 35 fights. And at 19, Coban had won his first World Championship at Lumpinee stadium.

In 1990 "Camp Lookchamaesaitong" closed. To honor the camp, Coban adopted Lookchamaesaitong as his "fighting last name".

Coban fought more than 270 fights in his 23-year career. His last fight was against former student Danny Steele at the Warrior’s Cup in California on September 2000. Coban won, even though he hadn’t fought for 3 years.

His toughest fights of his career was against Ramon Dekkers. He fought him a total of four times, two wins and two losses. The Coban vs. Dekkers fights have been rated as the best by any standards, by Muay Thai fans worldwide.

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[edit] External links

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