On Saturday, March 2, the third installment of “The Fighter – Thailand” took place at the Spaceplus Arena in Bangkok.

Promoted by Taweesin Laosuwanwat of TL Boxing Promotions, the show features an interesting tournament format where prospects fight different opponents in a bracket-style elimination tournament.

When asked about the format, Laosuwanwat said “the format is a mix of a tournament; the prospects have to win five times against opponents I match them up with. In the sixth match, they will face a world-ranked opponent. Currently, we have Sangkaphong Chomyong, who fought today (6-0, 0 knockouts), in his second round in the tournament, and Giuliano Fantone (6-1, 4 KOs), who just completed his third fight in the tournament. These two men could reach the top.”

“The Fighter” promotion aims to discover the next boxer who could become a world champion from Thailand. I asked Laosuwanwat his opinion on the current boxing scene in Thailand, and he said “the boxing industry in Thailand is declining. I can’t blame Muay Thai, but Muay Thai is thriving. You have one championship every week, RWS every week; they pay a lot of money. If you go back in time, Thailand had many boxing world champions, but they all came from Muay Thai. If you go back 20 years ago, the maximum purse in Muay Thai would be $5000, but now they can earn $300,000. So, the good Muay Thai fighters don’t want to transition to boxing.”

Also on the “Fighter” card was WBA-ranked Yuttpong Tongdee (14-0, 9 KOs), who was on a comeback run in a bout scheduled for 10 rounds. In Thailand, most professional boxers transitioned to boxing after competing in Muay Thai, but that’s not the case for Yuttapong Tongdee. Before turning to the professional ranks in 2020, Tongdee had an extensive amateur background, competing not only on the national level but also internationally, representing Thailand in Finland, Uzbekistan, and Cuba, where he defeated future two-time Olympic gold medalist and WBO featherweight champion Robeisy Ramírez. In the professional ranks, Tongdee holds wins over Filipino prospect Herlan Gomez (11-1, 8 KOs) and former world title challenger Pigmy Kokietgym (64-27-2, 28 knockouts).

Over the weekend, the 30-year-old Tongdee took on Thanachai Khamoon (3-8-1), winning the fight by stoppage in the 3rd round. Tondee’s extensive amateur experience reflects in his fighting style. His smooth boxing style, utilizing a fast, accurate jab and solid footwork, is beautiful to watch, and his calm demeanor makes him appear at home in the squared circle.

Laosuwanwat had this to say about his charge and their plans: “Yuttapong is 30 years old and now ranked 14th with the WBA in the bantamweight division. My next plan is to find a good opponent for him. Today was an easy win. I want to schedule another fight for him in two months, but the end goal is to fight Takuma Inoue (19-1, 5 KOs). I’m trying to connect with Ohashi Promotion to negotiate and discuss the fight with them, but they’re still considering it.”

When asked about when Tongdee can challenge for a title, he said, “It could be anytime; it depends on how I negotiate and discuss with Ohashi Promotions. If they say yes, we’re ready to fight.” When asked about who his next world champion could be, he responded “that’s a hard question. It’s difficult to find good boxers now. I’m still trying with my boxers like Yuttapong or Tanes, but he just lost to Dave Apolinario in Japan last week. In my opinion, I think my boxer Yuttapong is the closest to becoming a world champion. I’m not saying it will be soon, but he has the chance.”