Cambodia Interclub Martial Arts held an amateur fight club event, “Interclub 8,” at Factory Phnom Penh on June 8. Facebook: Cambodia Interclub Martial Arts
The Cambodia Inter Club Foundation and Truong Somnang Khun Khmer hosted the Cambodia Inter Club 8 at Factory Phnom Penh on June 8, with 11 matches played and attracting a wide audience.
Cambodia's centuries-old passion for its rich martial arts tradition is well known, but many of the kingdom's expats are also eager to test themselves in the ring.
The event mixed boxing and Kun Khmer styles and featured athletes from 13 countries: Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Russia, France, South Africa and the Czech Republic. The boxing matches were three two-minute rounds, while the Kun Khmer skirmishes were slightly longer, with three three-minute rounds.
“Competitors came from gyms in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and ranged in ability from beginners to seasoned artists,” said a press release for the event, posted on Wednesday night.
According to the announcement, 22 foreign and local fighters stepped into the ring to test their mettle.
“Participants ranged widely in age and weight, from 16 to 62 years old and from 45kg to 125kg,” he added.
In the first bout of the night, a Kun Khmer featherweight bout, Ireland's Nathan Joyce, fresh from a loss to Cambodian designer Sissy Vuong last month, overpowered his Russian opponent Alexei Polyak of Vietnam's Rooster Muay Thai with some impressive footwork and pinpoint punches.
Another highlight of the evening was the 70kg boxing match between Australian Robert Walters (61) of Angkor Saxton and American Robert Starkweather of Villa (Starkweather's debut). Starkweather initially trained in Kun Khmer but switched to Western boxing after an injury, but this didn't seem to help as he defeated Walters by third round decision.
The fourth bout of the night saw Erwin Nguyen of the MMA Club of Vietnam defeat Villa fighter Rommel Trigg of the Philippines. The fifth bout, the only catchweight bout of the bout (boxers do not have to be the same weight), saw Villa's South African Mario Pottier (77kg) defeat The Ring's French-Cambodian Ying Christian (83kg).
Other bouts included professional female Kum Khmer fighter Phanice Van Lida from Sovankoma Gym and Lui Srey Nee of Universe 8K Kun Khmer, who knocked out her opponent with a well-timed strike.
Cambodian freelance fighter M Vanit lost to Cambodian Spartans fighter Hiang Bunnarith in the 60kg featherweight boxing match.
Mauritian-German fighter Felice Dal Gravbe defeated Czech fighter Tomas Pokorny of Kingdom Fight Gym in the 73kg welterweight division.
Manu Serapak Academy lightweights Theor Franiette (Cambodia, France) and Taylor West (Great Britain) fought a fierce battle, with Franiette winning by decision.
The only draw in the tournament came in a friendly bout in the Kun Khmer featherweight 63kg division, when Cambodian-Frenchman Benjamin “Villa” Khairpan went toe-to-toe with Cambodian Peter “The Ring” Chai.
The final bout of the night was a closely fought 125kg super heavyweight Kun Khmer bout between Scottish journalist Nathan Southern and Cambodian marketing executive Kevin Vaughan, with Southern winning by decision after three rounds.
According to Interclub, their goals are three-fold: to create an amateur martial arts scene in Cambodia; to support, establish and develop existing Kun Khmer gyms in the country; and to promote Cambodia as a martial arts training destination in Asia.
The group will host a big-screen viewing party at the Villa Martial Arts Gym & Guesthouse on June 12 at 8 p.m., followed by a final vote by the public to announce the “Fight of the Night” and “Fighter of the Night.”
