A FORMER PROFESSIONAL MUAY THAI BOXER HAS CREATED A UNIQUE SPORTS RECOVERY COMPLEX IN CHIANG MAI: CNX SPORTS RECOVERY!

Temps de lecture : 6 minutes

A FORMER PROFESSIONAL MUAY THAI BOXER HAS CREATED A UNIQUE SPORTS RECOVERY COMPLEX IN CHIANG MAI: CNX SPORTS RECOVERY!
Special report by Serge TREFEU (2025)

Anthony Fiorelli, nicknamed “Tony,” is a former Muay Thai fighter who spent several years in Thailand, immersed in the school of life that traditional boxing camps represent

In the 2000s, he trained in some of Bangkok’s toughest camps, including Jocky Gym, Kietprapat Gym, Thor Chalermchai Gym, and Kietbanchong Gym, absorbing the spirit and methods of the Thai instructors, with all the discipline, endurance, and self-sacrifice that entails.

He fought around twenty times in Thailand, including three times in the legendary Ratchadamnoen Stadium, one of the most sacred temples of Muay Thai, a place where only the most seasoned fighters step into the ring.
Today, drawing on this experience forged in sweat, suffering, and honor, Anthony has opened a unique sports recovery complex.

His center caters to athletes looking to optimize recovery, improve performance, and prevent injuries, as well as anyone wanting to release tension, soothe their body, and relieve the stress accumulated from daily life and work.

This complex is the result of years of observing the human body in extreme situations.

In Muay Thai camps, Anthony learned that training forges the warrior…but that recovery forges longevity.

Anthony tells us about his center, recently opened in Chiang Mai, the major city in northern Thailand.

Hi Anthony, how are you?

Very well, I’ve been living in Chiang Mai for a year and a half now, after spending several years in Bangkok

Why did you choose Chiang Mai over Bangkok, Pattaya, or Phuket?

Because every time I’ve been to Chiang Mai, I’ve felt good. You know, there are some cities where you feel comfortable, and others where you don’t. Chiang Mai is a big city, but much calmer than Bangkok. And it’s only an hour’s flight from Bangkok or Phuket

You just opened your sports recovery center. Can you tell us about it?

It’s a center designed for athletes, but also for everyone else. The idea is really to reach a sporting clientele who need physical recovery. As you know, I fought in Thailand, and at the time there weren’t all these saunas, ice baths, or recovery centers. So I wanted to move into this field to stay within the sports world

Can you explain in more detail what “sports recovery” is?

When you train hard every day like I did back then, your body isn’t really made to withstand what you put it through. The only recovery we had was sleep, sleep… and trying to eat well. But the body needs other ways to recover.
Today, there are recovery techniques that we weren’t really aware of back then. The sauna, for example: we knew about it, but we didn’t use it enough, even though it really helps relax the muscles. An ice bath, on the other hand, partially numbs the muscles and provides many mental benefits, especially thanks to the endorphins that reduce stress and pain

Do many athletes now use these ice bath techniques?

Yes, exactly. Footballers, for example, use ice baths very often now. And practically all top athletes today use them.

The Ice Baths I installed come from Australia. They cost me a fortune, but they’re equipped with a special filter that allows us to collect, filter, and reintroduce perfectly clean water. So the bath is always healthy, clean, and constantly maintained.

Unlike many centers that use Ice Baths all day without filtering the water, at the end of the day, their bath is full of bacteria and grime…

Cold water baths are an age-old practice. Used for millennia for their potential health benefits, this method is now popular among athletes and sports enthusiasts to help their bodies recover after intense training. Numerous scientific studies support the use of cold water as part of a post-workout recovery routine.
The benefits of ice baths can be long-lasting. Some studies have shown that an ice bath after exercise can reduce muscle soreness for up to 96 hours after training. This can help you get back into training after a tough session or keep pushing yourself during a multi-day competition

So you offer these ice baths to your clients?

Yes, as well as sports massages, and I also provide a relaxation room where they can watch live boxing or soccer matches. For example, I paid for the pay-per-view broadcast of the last ONE Championship show in Japan, and clients were able to watch the event live on a big screen!

Do you also offer a high-quality sauna to your clients?

Yes, my sauna is made of Himalayan salt stone. It’s a very special sauna, assembled entirely from salt stones, known for their beneficial effects against stress. The stones and crystals used come directly from the Himalayas. They are renowned for purifying the air, reducing stress, improving skin health, and helping with respiratory problems.
These stones form large, golden slabs, and I’ve added LEDs behind them to illuminate them; at night, it’s magnificent to see!

**A sauna session after exercise can offer numerous health benefits and even prolong the positive effects of your workout.**
**Using heat, whether it’s a sauna, a hot tub, or any other form of heat exposure after exercise, can maximize the benefits of physical exertion.**
**Many sports coaches recommend a sauna after training. The heat delivers essential nutrients and oxygen to the muscles, promoting relaxation and recovery.**
**This helps reduce muscle soreness, and a few minutes in the sauna allows you to unwind and recharge after an intense workout**

Do you have a beautiful pool too?

Yes, a special saltwater pool. We don’t use chlorinated water, which means it’s gentler on the skin, and the salt has a beneficial effect on the body

First and foremost, saltwater pools are simply relaxing. The sensation of the water on the skin is both soothing and invigorating. There’s nothing more pleasant than plunging into a saltwater pool for people who have suffered multiple sports injuries.
**Saltwater is also excellent for the skin. Studies have shown that saltwater can help heal skin problems and acts as a natural exfoliant.**
**The natural mineral composition of saltwater contains essential elements like magnesium, potassium, and sodium, which interact with the body during swimming.**
These minerals are absorbed through the skin, providing therapeutic benefits that tap water cannot offer. Swimming in saltwater offers remarkable advantages, far superior to those of a conventional chlorinated pool

You welcome people for the day, but is it possible to stay for several days at the complex?

Yes, indeed. I have a package, usually for a day or a morning, at a rate of 360 baht. Guests can stay all day.

But I also have two rooms for rent, at 860 baht per night, which is really inexpensive. I also offer attractive monthly and annual rates

Does the 360 baht rate include the sauna, ice bath, swimming pool, and relaxation room?

Yes. In the relaxation room, you also have games like PlayStation and other activities. There’s also a restaurant in the complex. Parking is also free, which is a plus since we’re practically in downtown Chiang Mai.

For massage sessions, we offer 500 baht for specialized sports massages, 400 baht for oil massages, and 350 baht for traditional massages.

The sports massage is performed by a specialist who was the masseur for ONE star Superbon Banchamek, as well as the famous trainer Ajahn Gae Sor Keawsuek. He’s a former boxer who earned his qualifications and has been practicing his new profession for four years now. He’s truly a fantastic masseur!

Sports massage is specifically designed to optimize movement, performance, and recovery. It targets the muscle groups most used during your activities, helping to relieve tension, soreness, and imbalances that can result from repetitive movements.
**Sports massage is a natural form of recovery. Post-exercise sports massage, by reducing inflammation, decreases muscle stress from exertion and reduces the onset of delayed onset muscle soreness**

Is your center mixed?

Yes, women, men, athletes, and even those who don’t play sports, everyone is welcome. So far, people are very satisfied with their experience at CNX Sports Recovery. I’ve had very positive feedback, which is gratifying, as this type of facility didn’t exist in Chiang Mai before

What are the opening hours?

The center is open every day except Tuesday, from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Would you like to work with boxing camps or other sports centers?

Yes, I’d like to build connections with Muay Thai camps, of course, but also with gyms and CrossFit studios. The idea is to try and build loyalty with fighters and high-level athletes.

I’m already starting to make quite a few contacts. For example, someone just launched their own protein brand, and I’m now selling their products at my facility

Let’s talk a little about Muay Thai. You were a professional fighter in Thailand for a long time, what do you think of Muay Thai in Thailand today?

I think that today, fighters can really make a lot of money. If you’re good, there’s a way to earn big purses by joining organizations like ONE Championship or Rajadamnern Stadium’s RWS.

In my day, none of that existed. Foreigners, especially, trained more out of passion than for money. Passion is great, but after a while, you need to eat. So it was very difficult to remain a high-level fighter for a long time in Thailand, and in France it was even worse…

Is the current level of boxers the same as it was in your day?

There are some really strong fighters today, but the style of Muay Thai has completely changed with the ONE Championship. They almost exclusively use boxing techniques, with smaller gloves, aiming for the knockout as much as possible because of the huge purses they can earn.

Before, punching techniques hardly mattered; it was a style much more focused on leg techniques. And honestly, the technical level of the fighters was extremely high, and there were many more highly skilled and very strong boxers. The Thai champions were almost unbeatable; they were truly very, very strong!

Do you think the level of Thai fighters has dropped or that of foreign fighters has risen?

I think it’s a combination of both. The level of Thai fighters has definitely dropped, and foreign fighters have become increasingly stronger.

We see it at ONE Championship; those who come in strong often come from Eastern European countries. They are very physically strong, powerful, tough, and their ferocious style often puts Thai boxers in difficulty, especially with their punching techniques. Three-round matches with small gloves don’t really suit the Thai style. In pure Muay Thai, with five-round fights, the contests would be completely different.
We see it again at Rajadamnern Stadium or on TV7; the Thais are still very much present

Remind us of your boxing record?

I had 32 fights, 12 in France and 20 in Thailand. I fought three times at Rajadamnern Stadium in Bangkok, in Phuket, Koh Samui, in the Isaan province, and in Pattaya.

I won the Pattaya championship belt at Thepprasit Stadium in 2004. At the time, I was fighting for the Sityodtong camp, where I had trained for a while

**Anthony Fiorelli had about twenty fights in Thailand, notably in Bangkok at the famous Rajadamnern Stadium and in various provinces of the country**

**Anthony Fiorelli has faced several great French champions such as Albert Chey (World Champion), Vatsana Sedone (European Champion), Driss Bouchit (World Champion), Guillaume Mautz (European Champion)**autz (Champion d’Europe)

Anthony Fiorelli received the Pattaya championship belt in the -60 kg category from Police Sergeant Major Amnat Somphongtham. He defeated Thai fighter Bayinnaung Luk Por Saen by knockout in the second round on Sunday, October 17, 2004

You have a really interesting story about that Pattaya belt, can you tell us about it?

Well, yes, to tell you a little story, the Thais made me a magnificent belt with my name on it and another, simpler belt without my name. With my budget, I couldn’t afford to buy that beautiful belt with my name on it, because the Thais ask for a lot of money for it. In Thailand, you have to buy your belt; it’s not given to you for free. I was able to buy another one a few months later in Pattaya, but the champion belt with my name on it, the Thais kept.

A few years later, the great champion Youssef Boughanem, who was starting his successful career in Thailand, fought for the Pattaya championship title and beat a Thai fighter by knockout. The Thai officials, I don’t know why, gave him my Pattaya championship belt with my name on it! (Laughs)