FOREIGN CHAMPIONS AND THE BELT OF LUMPINEE
FOREIGN CHAMPIONS
AND THE BELT OF LUMPINEE
Special report
by Serge TRÉFEU (2019)
The belt of the Lumpinee has always made dream all the professional nakmuays of the earth. Whether Thai or foreign, this belt of the legendary Lumpinee stadium represents the conquest of the Grail in a boxer’s life.
THE BELT OF LUMPINEE IS THE ULTIMATE TROPHY IN MUAY THAI
The biggest legends of Muay Thai like Vicharnoi Porntawee, Saensak Muangsurin, Poot Lorlek, Pud Pad Noi Worawut, Sakad Petchyindee, Dieselnoi Chor Tanasukarn, Kongthoranee Payakaroon, Chamophet Ha Phalang, Samart Payakaroon, Hippy Singmanee, Sangtiennoi Sor Rungroj, Langsuan Phanyutthapum, Karuhat Sor Supawan, Kaensak Sor Ploenchit, Wangchannoi Sor Palangchai, Namkabuan Nong Kee Pahuyut, Samson Isaan, Tongchai Tor Silachai, Anuwat Kaewsamrit, Saenchai Sor Kingstar, have conquered this prestigious belt.
We have to recognize that the Lumpinee belt in the seventies, eighties, and nineties was a little harder to win than it’s today. For foreigners this title was almost inaccessible.
Today, thanks to Thai promoters fans of foreign champions, it’s also of course for the business, this laudatory title is now also won by some foreigners.
But the champions from countries other than Thailand are still very few to have had the honour to compete for a belt at the Lumpinee Stadium. And it’s always a feat for a foreign champion to take to the Thai champions this exceptional title.
Until today, just fifteen foreigners fought for the Lumpinee belt.
In 1990, Ramon Dekkers against Issara Sakreerin for the belt in 140 lbs (Defeat of Ramon Dekkers).
THE DUTCH STAR RAMON DEKKERS HAS BEEN FIRST FOREIGN TO FIGHT FOR A TITLE OF LUMPINEE, NOVEMBER 27, 1990
In 1999, Mourad Sari against Somchai Sor Nuntana for the belt in 140 lbs (Victory of Morad Sari) and Stephane Nikiema against Neungtrakan Por Muang Ubon for the belt in 147 lbs (Defeat of Stephane Nikiema).
MOURAD SARI VS SOMCHAI AND STEPHANE NIKIEMA VS NEUNGTRAKAN (SONGCHAI AND SAMY KEBCHI PROMOTION)
In 2010, Farid Villaume against Saiyok Pumpanmuang for the belt in 154 lbs (Defeat of Farid Villaume) and Kamel Jemel against Kongfah Auddomuang for the belt in 140 lbs (Defeat of Kamel Jemel), in France in 2010, Abdellah Mabel against Saiyok Pumpanmuang for the belt in 154 lbs (Defeat of Abdellah Mabel).
FARID VILLAUME VS SAIYOK AND KAMEL JEMEL VS KONGFAH (KIATPETCH AND DENIS-MARIE CINTURA PROMOTION)
ABDELLAH MABEL VS SAIYOK (KIATPETCH AND DENIS-MARIE CINTURA PROMOTION)
In 2012, Damien Alamos against Kongfah Auddomuang for the belt in 140 lbs (Victory of Damien Alamos).
In 2014, in Japan, Kunitaka Fujiwara against Dechsakda Sitsongpeenong for the Lumpinee belt in 122 lbs (Defeat of Kunitaka Fujiwara) and Ito Nakatake against Nutaphon Nachuakvitayakom for the Lumpinee belt in 122 lb (Defeat of Ito Nakatake, Nutaphon retained his title, in Japan, on April 19, 2015, again against Ito Nakatake).
In 2017, Rafi Bohic against Pongsiri Por Siripong for the belt in 147 lbs (Victory of Rafi Bohic).
In 2018, Youssef Boughanem against Thalaithong Sor Thanaphet for the belt in 160 lbs (Victory of Youssef Boughanem) and Kajaiba Phuket Fightclub against Thalaithong Sor Thanaphet for the belt in 154 lbs (Defeat of the Brazilian Kajaiba Phuket Fightclub).
In Japan, in 2018, at Korakuen Hall, Kulapdam Sor Jor Piak Uthai against Japanese champion Genji Umeno (Radja Champion in 2016), Kulapdam win for the Lumpinee stadium belt in 135 lbs.
LUIS KAJAIBA VS THALAITHONG
In 2019, in Japan, Nadaka Ewasportgym against Singdam K.T. Gym for the belt in 105 lbs (Victory of Nadaka Ewasportgym) and in stadium of Lumpinee, Jimmy Vienot against Thalaithong Sor Thanaphet for the belt in 160 lbs (Victory of Jimmy Vienot).
Morad Sari was the first foreign champion to win the Lumpinee Belt in 140 lbs on May 8, 1999 against Thai Somchai Sor Nuntana (No. 4 Lumpinee) who was defeated by KO. The 140 lbs belt was vacant, it was held by Saimai Chor Suananun until April 1999 (Morad Sari beat Saimai once and Thai beat the French twice including once by KO).
In the final round of the championship between Sari and Somchai, Morad Sari atomized the Thai with a stunning left-right series. The left-handed of Argenteuil has become the first western in history to win this unique belt!
On the same evening, French champion Stephane Nikiema met Neungtrakan Por Muang Ubon for the Lumpinee title in 147 lbs. In the third round of this fight, Neungtrakan was standing KO. But to the general surprise, the referee intervened in front of the French and stopped the fight. Later, we learned that the Thai judges had made a very special decision for this match (No winner, no loser). A “Lom Muay”, meaning that the Thai did not want to fight or would have been paid to lose…
MOURAD SARI
MOURAD SARI VS SOMCHAI
On 10 February 2012, the young phenomenon Damien Alamos at 21 years old became the second foreigner to win the trophy, he was Lumpinee champion in 140 lbs against the bull Kongfah Auddomuang which he beat at points. Kongfah held the title he won against French champion Kamel Jemel in 2010 (Win by KO). Damien Alamos defended his Lumpinee belt twice victoriously. In September 2012, he defeated Aranchai Pran 26 (No. 4 Lumpinee) with a point victory and on July 16, 2013, he beat the fearsome Singsuriya Mor Ratanabandit (No. 3 Lumpinee) by KO!
DAMIEN « SINGKHAO » ALAMOS
DAMIEN ALAMOS VS KONGFAH
DAMIEN ALAMOS VS ARANCHAI
DAMIEN ALAMOS VS SINGSURIYA
On 20 June 2017, Rafi Bohic won the Lumpinee belt in 147 lbs beating Pongsiri Por Siripong. A revenge fight because Rafi Bohic had bowed to points on September 3, 2016, after a terrible battle in which Pongsiri had finished the bloody head for the Lumpinee belt in 147 lbs.
On July 18, 2017, at the Lumpinee stadium, the Frenchman challenged Thai Nontakit Tor Morsi for a Thailand championship belt, unfortunately he did not manage the feat of winning the belt of Thailand, Rafi Singpatong (Singpatong name of his camp) was beaten by KO.
Although the Lumpinee belt was not put in play, the Frenchman was removed from his title. Because a Thai regulation stipulates that if a Lumpinee champion loses by KO in the Lumpinee stadium within a year, he loses his belt in the Lumpinee stadium…
On 26 December 2017, at the Lumpinee stadium, Rafi Singpatong found Simanut Sor Surinya whom he had beaten a year earlier. The 147 lbs Lumpinee belt, which had become vacant, was put into play.
The Frenchman had a sumptuous fight and beat the Thai by points. Rafi Singpatong got his belt back, he again entered the history of Muay Thai by being the only foreigner in the world to have regained the prestigious title of the Lumpinee.
A title that he then defended four times victoriously. On 27 February 2018 at the Lumpinee stadium during the event Best Of Siam 12, a show organised by French promoters Jean-Charles Skarbowsky and Hakim Didda, Rafi Singpatong beat French champion Dylan Salvador by KO. This is the first time that a Lumpinee belt was fight between two no-Thai champions.
On August 28, 2018, Rafi Singpatong brilliantly kept his Lumpinee trophy against Petchkantat M. Uden (Current Thailand Champion). On 12 October, in France, in the Prestige Fight organisation of Djamel Yacouben, he defended the Lumpinee title by beating by KO the No. 1 of Lumpinee Tananchai Rajanon (Thailand Champion). But this defence in France of the Lumpinee belt was not approved by the Thai officials due to the elbow pads worn by the two boxers…
On 30 April 2019, Rafi Singpatong put a Lumpinee title on the line for the sixth time, a record. The impassive Crusher faced solid Manachai Yokkaosaenchai (WBC World Champion) who is ranked No. 4 in Lumpinee.
After a hard fight in which the Thai tried to destroy the legs of the French with his powerful Low Kick, in the fourth round, Rafi Singpatong electrocuted Manachai with a sequence of left elbows and precise right elbows at the tip of chin of Thai. Rafi Singpatong has definitely entered to the pantheon of Muay Thai!
RAFI SINGPATONG
RAFI SINGPATONG VS PONGSIRI
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RAFI SINGPATONG VS SIMANUT
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RAFI SINGPATONG VS DYLAN SALVADOR
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RAFI SINGPATONG VS PETCHKANTAT
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RAFI SINGPATONG VS TANANCHAI
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RAFI SINGPATONG VS MANACHAI
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On May 22, 2018, Youssef Boughanem became the fourth foreigner in the world to win the Lumpinee stadium belt in Bangkok. The Moroccan-Belgian champion faced Thalaithong Sor Thanaphet (TV7 Champion, Thailand Champion) who was Lumpinee champion in 154 lbs.
The title of Lumpinee was in the category of 160 lbs. Youssef Boughanem and the Thai made a very tough match. But Thalaithong was stopped by the referee in the fourth round facing the destructive fury of Terminator Youssef Boughanem.
Youssef Boughanem is the only foreigner to win the Omnoi stadium belt in 2015, the Radja stadium belt in 2016 and the Lumpinee stadium belt in 2018.
No foreigners has ever performed like this in Thailand. And only a handful of Thai champions have won all three belts at once of these great stadiums in Bangkok. Youssef Boughanem has entered the historical annals of the greatest champions in the history of Muay Thai!
YOUSSEF BOUGHANEM
YOUSSEF BOUGHANEM VS THALAITHONG
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The whizz kid Japanese Nadaka Ewasportgym, is only 18 years old, is already World Champion in three federations, the WBC, the WMC and the IBF, as well as the Radja champion. Nadaka Ewasportgym won on December 9, 2018 the belt of the stadium of Radja in 105 lbs. In Japan, at the boxing stadium of Yokohama City, he beat the Thai Hercules Phetsimean.
On April 14, 2019, in Japan, at the boxing stadium of Yokohama City, the Japanese Nadaka Ewasportgym won the Lumpinee belt in 105 lbs by beating the Thai Singdam K.T. Gym.
Nadaka Ewasportgym is currently Radja champion and Lumpinee champion in 105 lbs, it’s a first in the history of the Japanese champions!
NADAKA EWASPORTGYM
On 30 April 2019, at the Lumpinee stadium, during the Prestige Fight show organized by French promoter Djamel Yacouben, Jimmy Vienot became the sixth foreigner in the world won the belt of the mythical Lumpinee stadium.
For the vacant Lumpinee belt in 160 lbs, belt owned by champion Youssef Boughanem, Jimmy Vienot met Thalaithong Sor Thanaphet (Lumpinee Champion, TV7 Champion, Thailand Champion). The Frenchman made a great match and beat the Thai on points. Jimmy Vienot has entered the very closed circle of foreign champions holding the title of Lumpinee Stadium!
JIMMY VIENOT
JIMMY VIENOT VS THALAITHONG
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