Buakaw Banchamek

Buakaw Banchamek
บัวขาว บัญชาเมฆ

Buakaw in 2007
Born Sombat Banchamek
May 8, 1982
Bansongnong County, Samrong Thap, Surin Province, Thailand
Native name บัวขาว บัญชาเมฆ
Other names Buakaw (บัวขาว)
The White Lotus
Nationality Thai
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Weight 69.5 kg (153 lb; 10.94 st)
Division Featherweight
Lightweight
Welterweight
Style Muay Thai
Stance Orthodox
Fighting out of Surin, Thailand
Team Por. Pramuk Gym (1997- 2012)
Banchamek Gym (2012-present)
Trainer Jood Por. Pramuk
Teerawat Yioyim
Years active 21 (1990–present)
Kickboxing record
Total 309
Wins 256
By knockout 65 [1]
Losses 41
Draws 12
last updated on: June 14, 2014

Buakaw Banchamek (Thai: บัวขาว บัญชาเมฆ, born May 8, 1982) is a Thai welterweight Muay Thai kickboxer, who formerly[2] fought out of Por. Pramuk Gym, in Bangkok, Thailand under the ring name Buakaw Por. Pramuk (Thai: บัวขาว ป.ประมุข). He is a former two time Omnoi Stadium champion, Thailand Featherweight champion and two time, 2004, 2006 K-1 World MAX champion.

In addition, Buakaw also played professional football as a forward in Regional League Division 2 for RBAC F.C.

Biography and career

Early career

Born as Sombat Banchamek (Thai: สมบัติ บัญชาเมฆ) in Surin,[3] Thailand, Buakaw started his fighting career at the age of eight in his home province of Surin in the northeastern Thailand. He moved to Chachoengsao when he was 15, and since then he has been with the Por. Pramuk Gym.[4] His first fight name was Damtamin Kiat-anan.

Buakaw has collected several belts to his name since fighting in Bangkok. The Omnoi Stadium featherweight title was his first belt, after that he would go on to take the featherweight champion of Thailand title. Buakaw then proceeded to win another Omnoi Stadium title belt, this time in the lightweight division. In December 2002, Buakaw won the Toyota Marathon 140 lb. tournament at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, beating the highly regarded Kobayashi of Japan in the finals.

K-1

In July 2004 Buakaw became the K-1 MAX World champion beating John Wayne Parr, Takayuki Kohiruimaki and previous champion Masato in the finals. In 2005 he nearly repeated his run for tournament champion, but lost the extra round controversial decision to Dutch shoot-boxer, Andy Souwer in the finals. In the 2006 K-1 MAX World Grand Prix, Buakaw again faced Andy Souwer in the finals, but this time defeated Souwer by TKO with a flurry of punches, thereby winning his second K-1 World MAX title and becoming the first man to win that title twice.

Buakaw lost to Masato by unanimous decision at the K-1 World MAX 2007 quarterfinals. Despite Buakaw being able to land vicious leg kicks throughout the match, Masato scored a knockdown in the first round and continued to land numerous punch combinations throughout the fight which earned Masato a unanimous decision victory.

In 2010, Buakaw co-starred in the martial arts movie Yamada: The Samurai of Ayothaya based on the life of Yamada Nagamasa, a Japanese adventurer who gained considerable influence in Thailand at the beginning of the 17th century and became the governor of the Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand.

Even though being the semi finalist of the K-1 World MAX 2009 Final Buakaw did not compete in the K-1 World MAX 2010 in Seoul World Championship Tournament Final 16 because he was displeased with the K-1 official. Instead he entered the Shoot Boxing World Tournament 2010 along with the former three time tournament champion Andy Souwer. However Toby Imada defeated Souwer in the semi finals to face Buakaw in the final. Buakaw defeated Imada via TKO in the second round to become the new 2010 Shoot Boxing S-Cup World champion.

After K-1

In 2011 he has had 7 fights; 4 of which have ended by way of stoppage. In the semi-finals of 2011 Thai Fight 70 kg Tournament he won by KO in the 3rd round via elbow against Mickael Piscitello.

December 18, 2011 he fought Franki Giorgi for the 2011 Thai Fight 70 kg Tournament Title and won by unanimous decision.

Leaving Por. Pramuk and Retirement and Coming Back

Since March 1, 2012, he was missing away from his training camp.[5][6] On March 12, he appeared on a Thai TV talk show and apologized to the fans. He stated that he has had chronic problems in Por. Pramuk Gym since 2009 and felt that he was insulted by the behavior of the key figure there, that was why he disappeared.[7] He had been scheduled to visit Japan with the Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra for an exhibition match but it was canceled with another fight. As a result of the contemplation, he decided to part ways with the gym. He said "I can stand tough training, but not poor treatment. It is about mind, not the body,".[8]

On March 17, 2012, Buakaw's sponsor Yokkao Boxing announced on Twitter that he would return to training. At this time they are referring to him as Buakaw Banchamek.[9] He had resumed training at the "newly-built" Banchamek gym (named after him),[10] as of March 22, 2012. He was scheduled to fight Mickael Cornubet[11] at ThaiFight on April 17, 2012.[12]

As of March 30, 2012 he was prevented from fighting at Thai Fight in April 2012, until he files a complaint with Sports Authority of Thailand, and later is proven right about his claims of being "unfairly treated" by Por. Pramuk.[13] On April 4 he said that his fight name for the fight later that month, would be "Buakaw", and that he "may not use the name of the boxing camp Por. Pramuk".[14]

His first fight after leaving Por Pramuk Gym was a success. He knocked out Rustem Zaripov at 2:45 of the 2nd round with very accurate punches. As of May 31, 2012 Buakaw told the press that he wanted to end the dispute between him and Por Pramuk Gym; therefore he decided to retire.[15] Buakaw has been seen in jiujitsu, judo and wrestling classes, showing signs of a possible MMA career. This would allow Buakaw to fight without breaching his contract with the Por Pramuk boxing camp. Returning to the ring, on August 17, 2012 Buakaw defeated Abdoul Toure by way of TKO in Round 2.

He beat Mauro Serra via TKO in the quarter-finals of the 2012 Thai Fight 70 kg Tournament at Thai Fight 2012: King of Muay Thai in Bangkok, Thailand on October 23, 2012.[16][17][18][19]

He then defeated Tomoyuki Nishikawa by unanimous decision in the tournament semi-finals in Nakhon Ratchasima on November 25, 2012.[20][21]

He fought Vitaly Gurkov in the final on December 16, 2012, and won Thai Fight tournament after decision.[22][23]

On March 27 Buakaw Banchamek (Por Pramuk) faced his friend and team mate Harlee Avison in a staged exhibition match at the brand new Beeline Arena in Cambodia which was free to the public.

On May 6, 2013, Buakaw again went off script to KO Malik Watson in round two in an exhibition match at MAX Muay Thai 1 in Surin, Thailand.[24]

He made his return to legitimate fighting with a decision win over Dong Wen Fei in a three round kickboxing match at MAX Muay Thai 3 in China on August 10, 2013.[25][26][27][28]

He re-signed with K-1 for the first time in four years in August 2013[29][30] and returned with a first round body shot KO of David Calvo at the K-1 World MAX 2013 World Championship Tournament Final 16 in Mallorca, Spain on September 14, 2013.[31][32][33][34]

In their fourth meeting, Buakaw bested Yoshihiro Sato on points at MAX Muay Thai 4 in Sendai, Japan on October 6, 2013.[35][36][37][38][39]

He beat Enriko Kehl by decision at MAX Muay Thai 5: The Final Chapter in Khon Kaen, Thailand on December 10, 2013.[40][41]

He defeated Zhou Zhi Peng on points after an extension round at the K-1 World MAX 2013 World Championship Tournament Quarter Finals - Part 1 in Foshan, China on December 28, 2013. Zhou turned the fight into somewhat of a brawl, although it seemed Buakaw did enough to win the decision the judges sent it to an extra frame in which Buakaw suffered a cut from a head butt. However, he made sure to establish dominance in the extra round to take the fight and advance in the tournament.[42][43]

At the K-1 World MAX 2013 World Championship Tournament Final 4 in Baku, Azerbaijan on February 23, 2014, he beat Lee Sung-Hyun by unanimous decision in the semi-finals.[44][45]

He beat Victor Nagbe via unanimous decision at Combat Banchamek in Surin, Thailand on April 14, 2014.[46]

He knocked out Adaylton Parreira De Freitas in round two at Muay Thai in Macau on June 6, 2014.[47]

Buakaw was scheduled to fight Fabio Pinca for the vacant WMC World Junior Middleweight (-69.9 kg/154 lb) Championship Monte Carlo Fighting Masters 2014 in Monte Carlo, Monaco on June 14, 2014.[48][49] However, Pinca was injured in a bout with Thongchai Sitsongpeenong in February and was replaced by Djime Coulibaly. Buakaw defeated Coulibaly via unanimous decision to take the belt.[50][51]

Buakaw was initially set to rematch Enriko Kehl in the K-1 World MAX 2013 World Championship Tournament Final in Pattaya, Thailand on July 26, 2014.[52] The event was postponed due to the 2014 Thai coup d'état, however.[53]

Football career

Buakaw Banchamek
Personal information
Date of birthMay 8, 1982
Place of birthSurin, Thailand
Height1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing positionForward
Club information
Current team
RBAC
Number16
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2014-RBAC1(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 February 2014.
† Appearances (Goals).

RBAC

Buakaw enrolled in Rattana Bundit University's business administration school in June 2013.[54] In February 2014, he signed for RBAC F.C., the university's association football club which plays in the Regional League Division 2 and is the reserve team of BEC Tero Sasana F.C..[55][56] Playing as a forward, he made his debut in a match on February 16.[57]

Titles

Muay Thai record

Kickboxing Record

Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest       Notes

Filmography

2010 : Yamada: The Samurai of Ayothaya

2013 : Buakaw-Boxer, Legend, Legacy [60]

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ http://www.siamfightmag.com/en/muaythai-en/interviews-muaythai-en/thai-boxers-en/633-buakaw-banchamek
  2. ↑ Kittipong Thongsombat (2012-03-22). "Buakhao ready for defence". Bangkok Post. p. 12.
  3. ↑ Kittipong Thongsombat (2012-03-22). "Buakhao ready for defence". Bangkok Post. p. 12.
  4. ↑ Cusick, Patrick (2012-03-18). Bangkok Post. p. S11. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ↑ "Missing fighter Buakaw 'worn out'". Bangkok Post. March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Boxer Buakaw goes missing". The Nation. March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Buakaw: Criticism hurt me". Bangkok Post. March 12, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Buakaw resurfaces, quits camp". Bangkok Post. March 13, 2012. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Buakaw is back". Yokkao Boxing. March 17, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  10. ↑ Kittipong Thongsombat (2012-03-22). "Buakhao ready for defence". Bangkok Post. p. 12.
  11. ↑ [No author credited] (2012-04-05). "Buakaw confirms Thai Fight participation". Bangkok Post. Bangkok Post/AP.
  12. ↑ Kittipong Thongsombat (2012-03-22). "Buakhao ready for defence". Bangkok Post. p. 12.
  13. ↑ Kittipong Thongsombat (2012-03-31). "Thailand bans mixed martial arts". Bangkok Post. p. S6. SAT deputy governor Sakol Wannapong said Buakaw cannot fight until he files a complaint with the SAT which will investigate if Buakaw was unfairly treated by Por. Pramuk. If his claim is proven true, then he will be allowed to fight, Sakol said.
  14. ↑ [No author credited] (2012-04-05). "Buakaw confirms Thai Fight participation". Bangkok Post. Bangkok Post/AP.
  15. ↑ "Buakaw calls it quits as dispute rages on". Bangkok Post. June 1, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  16. ↑ Buakaw Back At Thai Fight On October 23
  17. ↑ Thai Fight Tournament Tomorrow: Buakaw vs. Mauro Serra
  18. ↑ Thai Fight 2012 Live Results
  19. ↑ Buakaw hammers Serra
  20. ↑ Buakaw Back At Thai Fight Semi Finals Tomorrow
  21. ↑ Thai Fight Results: Buakaw, Singmanee, Kulebin, Gurkov move on to finals
  22. ↑ Fights To Watch In December: Part 2
  23. ↑ Thai Fight Results: Buakaw, Singmanee Win Tournaments
  24. ↑ MAX Muay Thai Live Results and Play-by-Play
  25. ↑ Buakaw, Liam Harrison, Sagetdao Headline MAX Muay Thai China
  26. ↑ MAX Ultimate Fights Revealed: Buakaw vs. Dong Wen Fei, Aikpracha vs. Jordan Watson
  27. ↑ MAX Muay Thai in China: Buakaw Victorious
  28. ↑ Max Muay Thai China Full Fights & Result run-down
  29. ↑ Buakaw Returns to K-1 Starting at the World MAX Final 16
  30. ↑ Buakaw signs long term deal with K-1
  31. ↑ K-1 Announces K-1 World MAX 2013 Final 16 Tournament Fights
  32. ↑ K-1 World MAX 2013 Final 16 Live Results
  33. ↑ K-1 World Max Final 16 2013 Results
  34. ↑ Buakaw Banchamek returns to K-1 world max with a knockout (with fight video)
  35. ↑ MAX Japan Roster Released: Could We See Buakaw vs. Sato IV?
  36. ↑ Buakaw Banchamek Will Face Yoshihiro Sato at MAX Japan
  37. ↑ Max Muay Thai Japan – Big names on board
  38. ↑ Buakaw Victorious Over Yoshihiro Sato at MAX Muay Thai IV
  39. ↑ MAX Muay Thai IV: Sendai Results
  40. ↑ MAX Muay Thai Results: Buakaw Beats Kehl, Sagetdao Wins Tournament
  41. ↑ Max Muay Thai "The Final Chapter" Results
  42. ↑ Buakaw Banchamek and Shane Campbell Advance in K-1 World MAX Tournament
  43. ↑ K-1 World Max China Quarterfinal Results
  44. ↑ K-1 World MAX Semi-Final Results
  45. ↑ K-1 World MAX Final Four Live Results
  46. ↑ Combat Banchamek full fight videos & results
  47. ↑ Muay Thai in Macau Results: Kem, Buakaw, and Saenchai victorious
  48. ↑ Monte Carlo Fighting Masters 2014 card
  49. ↑ MONTE CARLO FIGHTING MASTERS MUAY THAI EVENT with Lidon, Pinca, Levin and Banchamek!
  50. ↑ Buakaw Banchamek vs Djime Coulibaly 2 Monte Carlo Results
  51. ↑ Monte-Carlo Fighting Masters 2 - Fightcard, resultats.
  52. ↑ K-1 Brings in Andre Dida, World MAX Finals Gearing Up
  53. ↑ K-1 Postpones World MAX Show in Thailand
  54. ↑ PHOTO: Famed boxer Buakaw becomes freshman at RBAC
  55. ↑ K-1 legend Buakaw Por Pramuk signs for Thai club
  56. ↑ Buakaw kicks off new sports career
  57. ↑ Buakaw Banchamek Giving Professional Soccer a Whirl
  58. ↑ LiverKick Best of 2013: Comeback of the Year
  59. ↑ http://www.wmcmuaythai.org/html/09_3006_01.html
  60. ↑ http://www.muayfarang.com/en/anteprima-mondiale-film-buakaw/
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Andy Souwer		 S-Cup 2010 Winner
November 23, 2010 		Succeeded by
N/A