Other names The Emperor Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) Other name The Emperor | Nationality Thai Division Lightweight | |
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Born Muhammud Chaiyamart
October 13, 1979 (age 37)
Chaiya, Surat Thani Province, Thailand ( 1979-10-13 ) Native name นำศักดิ์น้อย ยุทธการกำธร Weight 61.2 kg (135 lb; 9.64 st) | ||
Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn (Thai: นำศักดิ์น้อย ยุทธการกำธร, born October 13, 1979) is a retired Muay Thai fighter from Thailand. He holds one of the highest winning percentages (95% wins in 300 fights), and one of the longest reigns as a Lumpinee Stadium Champion in history, remaining undefeated for the 135 lbs title between 2000–2006. He held wins over Muay Thai legends such as Saenchai PKSaenchaimuaythaigym, Samkor Kiatmontep, Kaolan Kaovichit, and Neungpichit Sityodtong. Namsaknoi was the camp senior of international Muay Thai superstar Buakaw when they both trained at Por Pramuk Camp. He spent 6 years in Singapore where he was an instructor to the Evolve Fight Team at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts, coaching world renowned MMA fighters such as Rafael Dos Anjos, Tarec Saffiedine, and Shinya Aoki. He now runs his own gym, Namsaknoi Muay Thai Club on the southern Thai island of Koh Phangan.
Contents
- Early life
- Fighting in Bangkok
- Dispute with Por Pramuk
- Transition to Coaching
- Titles and accomplishments
- References
Early life
Namsaknoi was born Muhammud Chaiyamart in a small fishing village in the Southern Thailand province of Surat Thani. He was the youngest of 7 siblings, of whom an elder brother (Ges Chaiyamart) was also a Muay Thai fighter. Namsaknoi’s parents struggled to feed the family on a fisherman's meager income, which was one of the key motivations that drove the young Namsaknoi to Muay Thai when he was 8 years old to help support the family.
Namsaknoi adopted his fight name from his uncle, the original Namsak, who was a well-known fighter in the South. Proving to be a natural in the sport, he was fairly successful in his early fights in the Southern provinces. When he was 12, his trainer brought him to Bangkok where he would have access to higher quality training and fight opportunities.
Fighting in Bangkok
Namsaknoi spent his formative years in Kiatsingnoi Gym in Bangkok, alongside other golden-era champions such as Pairot, Wangchannoi, and Rattanachai. He climbed his way up steadily in the competitive fight scene of the country's capital, often matched against older and more experienced fighters and winning most of them.
When he was 17 years old, he was voted and won the highly prestigious Sportswriters Association of Thailand Fighter of the Year Award of 1996. He was one of the youngest fighters to win the accolade at that time. He won another, different Fighter of the Year Award 3 years later, given by the Sports Authority of Thailand. Later, he was acquired by Por Pramuk Camp in the outskirts of Bangkok, where he would remain until his retirement.
At Por Pramuk, his campmates include Chok Dee, Ponsawan, Kompayak, Nonthanon, and Buakaw, the golden boys that propelled the fame of Por Pramuk Camp internationally. Throughout his fight career, he fought some of the best Thai fighters of the golden era, including Neungpichit Sidyodtong, Saenchai PKSaenchaimuaythaigym, Samkor Kiatmontep, Attachai Fairtex, Kaolan Kaovichit, and Lamnammoon Sor Sumalee.
While his camp junior Buakaw would gain international fame from his participation in K1 Kickboxing, Namsaknoi mostly fought within Thailand, against the crème de la crème of the sport. He only fought a handful of fights outside of Thailand, in Japan (where he won a 2nd round TKO against the dangerous Satoshi Kobayashi), Korea, Macau, and Italy. Namsaknoi held the 135 lbs Lumpinee Stadium Belt for an astounding 6 years, until his retirement in 2006, ending his career with an impressive record of 280 wins, 15 losses, and 5 draws. For his long reign as the unbeatable champion, the Thai media gave him the nickname of “The Emperor”.
Namsaknoi is known for his graceful and elaborate Wai Kru Ram Muay, winning the award for the best Wai Kru Ram Muay of the year twice, in 2001 and 2006.
Dispute with Por Pramuk
Namsaknoi left Por Pramuk camp after a bitter dispute over the mismanagement of his fight winnings. The fallout that shocked the Muay Thai community forced Namsaknoi into retirement, as no gym was able to pay Por Pramuk's asking price to buy over Namsaknoi's contract. Destitute with no money nor belts to his name (he left most of his physical possessions in the camp when he walked out), Namsaknoi returned to his hometown of Chaiya in Surat Thani province, never to step into the rings of Bangkok again.
Transition to Coaching
After retirement, Namsaknoi worked as a trainer in the tourist-heavy islands of Southern Thailand, spending a couple of years in Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, and Phuket. In 2010, he was approached by Chatri Sityodtong to join Evolve Mixed Martial Arts in Singapore, where he worked as a Muay Thai instructor for 6 years.
In early 2016, Namsaknoi left Evolve MMA as their Head Muay Thai Instructor, and returned to Koh Phangan, Thailand to fulfil his lifetime dream of setting up his own Muay Thai gym, named Namsaknoi Muay Thai Club. The gym was opened on 14 October 2016.