Thai MMA star relishes ‘dream’ fight
Dejdamrong set for Bangkok debut in May
Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke, former three-time Lumpinee champion in Muay Thai, went home to Thailand last week after living and working in Singapore to grace a press conference for ONE Championship’s “Kingdom of Champions” event which is scheduled for May 27 at Impact Arena in Bangkok.
The ONE world strawweight titleholder is the first world champion in mixed martial arts of Thai descent and is leading the charge for MMA in the Kingdom.
“I have waited a long time for this. Coming home to Thailand and performing in front of my people has always been my greatest dream,” said Dejdamrong, who won the strawweight title with a five-round technical decision over Filipino stalwart Roy “The Dominator” Doliguez last year.
The former Muay Thai master, Dejdamrong transitioned into MMA back in 2014 and hasn’t looked back since, stringing together six straight victories whilst capturing the title along the way.
ONE Championship has brought Dejdamrong to places like Manila, Dubai, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur to showcase his talent.
Backed by the government of Singapore, ONE is Asia’s largest sports media property with a global broadcast to over one billion homes in 75 countries.
Dejdamrong believes that, like ONE’s successful expansion into other Asian nations, this event in Bangkok will create significant media coverage around the world and that Thailand will receive a lot of attention which bodes well for the overall economy and tourism in the country.
“Thailand is one of the greatest countries in the world, and this is our chance to show it,” said Dejdamrong.
“It’s become a reality,” added Dejdamrong about his dream of competing in front of his friends and family in his home country.
“I vow to protect the title and bring the belt back home to Bangkok again as champion. It is an honour and a privilege to receive this opportunity.”
Although an opponent is yet to be announced, it is widely considered by experts that Dejdamrong is perhaps the most talented fighter in his division.
With ONE always on the lookout for fresh talent the world over, finding a worthy challenger for the 37-year-old Dejdamrong has proven to be a challenge in itself.
Dejdamrong faced his toughest opponent last November in Brazil’s Yago Bryan.
Although the Thai defeated Bryan by a unanimous decision in five rounds, Bryan pushed Dejdamrong to the limit and forced him to dig deep to showcase his championship mettle.
As a result, Dejdamrong put in one of his finest performances to date, of course led by his world-class Muay Thai skills honed in the heart of his hometown of Bangkok.
MMA has grown in popularity in recent years, and is one of the fastest expanding sports in the world.