Sombat Banchamek (, born May 8, 1982), also known by his ring name Buakaw Banchamek (, Buakaw meaning "white lotus") is a Thai professional Muay Thai fighter and kickboxer. Known for his fierce fighting style, he is regarded as one of the greatest Muay Thai fighters of all time. His time at Por Pramuk gym, which started in 1997, saw him collect several belts and championships. He won the featherweight title at Omnoi Stadium, and would later take the lightweight belt at Omnoi. In late 2002, he won the highly-regarded Toyota Marathon at 140lbs which was held at Lumpini Stadium. He entered the Japanese fighting promotion K-1 Max in 2004. Banchamek won the tournament in 2004 defeating John Wayne Parr and Masato Kobayashi. In 2006, he gained the K-1 Max belt for a second time. The marketing of K-1 and its promotion on the international stage saw Banchamek become a household name in his home country and abroad. After his time with K-1, Banchamek became the Shoot Boxing S-Cup Champion in 2010. He also participated in Max Muay Thai fights and in 2012 and 2011 was the Thai Fight Tournament Champion. Apart from his competitive career, Banchamek has also been an ambassador for Muay Thai, actively promoting the sport and helping it gain recognition on the global stage. In 2023, he led the largest Wai Kru performance, setting a Guiness World Record. He has also embarked on an acting career, starring in the Thai action films Yamada: The Samurai of Ayothaya (2010) and Thong Dee Fun Khao (2017).

Biography and career

Early career

Born Sombat Banchamek in Surin, Thailand, Buakaw started his fighting career at the age of eight in his home province of Surin in the northeastern Thailand. He moved to Chachoengsao when he was 15 and trained with the Por. Pramuk Gym. His first fight name was Damtamin Kiat-anan. Buakaw has collected several belts to his name fighting in Bangkok. The Omnoi Stadium featherweight title was his first belt. After that, he would go on to take the featherweight champion of Thailand title. Buakaw then proceeded to win another Omnoi Stadium title belt, this time in the lightweight division. In December 2002, Buakaw won the Toyota Marathon 140 lb. tournament at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, beating the highly regarded Satoshi Kobayashi of Japan in the finals.

K-1

In July 2004, Buakaw became the K-1 World MAX 2004 champion beating John Wayne Parr, Takayuki Kohiruimaki and previous champion Masato in the finals. In 2005, he nearly repeated his run for tournament champion but lost the extra round in a controversial decision to Dutch shoot-boxer Andy Souwer in the finals. In the K-1 World MAX 2006, Buakaw again faced Andy Souwer in the finals but this time defeated Souwer by TKO with a flurry of punches; thereby winning his second K-1 World MAX title and becoming the first man to win such title twice. Buakaw lost to Masato by unanimous decision at the K-1 World MAX 2007 quarterfinals. Despite Buakaw being able to land vicious leg kicks throughout the match, Masato scored a knockdown in the first round and continued to land numerous punch combinations throughout the fight which earned him a unanimous decision victory. In 2010, Buakaw co-starred in the martial arts movie Yamada: The Samurai of Ayothaya based on the life of Yamada Nagamasa, a Japanese adventurer who gained considerable influence in Thailand at the beginning of the 17th century and became the governor of the Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand. Although Buakaw was a semi-finalist of the K-1 World MAX 2009 Final Buakaw did not compete in the K-1 World MAX 2010 in Seoul World Championship Tournament Final 16 because he was displeased with the K-1 official's biased decision. Instead he entered the Shoot Boxing World Tournament 2010 along with the former three time tournament champion Andy Souwer. However Toby Imada defeated Souwer in the semi-finals to face Buakaw in the final. Buakaw defeated Imada via TKO in the second round to become the new 2010 Shoot Boxing S-Cup World champion.

Thai Fight

In 2011, Buakaw had seven fights; four of which ended by way of stoppage. In the semi-finals of the 2011 Thai Fight 70 kg Tournament, he won by KO in the 3rd round via elbow against Mickael Piscitello. On December 18, 2011, he fought Frank Giorgi for the 2011 Thai Fight 70 kg Tournament Title and won by unanimous decision. In the same year, Buakaw was signed as a sponsored fighter by Yokkao founder, Phillip Villa. He led the Muay Thai Combat Fan Expo to showcase the sport in Rimini, Italy with Saenchai, Sudsakorn Sor Klinmee, Dzhabar Askerov and many others.

Leaving Por. Pramuk, retirement and comeback

On January 21, 2012, Buakaw headlined Yokkao Extreme 2012 in Milan Italy in front of 12,000 attendees. He defeated Dzhabar Askerov by points in the main event. On March 1, 2012, he was notably absent from his training camp. On March 12, he appeared on a Thai TV talk show to apologize to the fans and explain his disappearance, stating that he had recurring problems in Por. Pramuk Gym since 2009 and felt insulted by the behavior of the management there. He had been scheduled to visit Japan with the Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra for an exhibition match but it was canceled in favor of another fight. As a result of the complication, he decided to part ways with the gym. He said "I can stand tough training, but not poor treatment. It is about the mind, not the body." On March 17, 2012, Buakaw's sponsor Yokkao Boxing announced that he would return to training. It was at this time that they began referring to him as Buakaw Banchamek. He had resumed training at the "newly-built" Banchamek gym (named after him), as of March 22, 2012. He was scheduled to fight Mickael Cornubet at ThaiFight on April 17, 2012. On March 30, 2012, Buakaw was prevented from fighting at Thai Fight in April 2012, until he filed a complaint with the Sports Authority of Thailand proving his claims of unfair treatment by Por. Pramuk. On April 4, he said that his fight name for the fight later that month would be "Buakaw", and that he "may not use the name of the boxing camp Por. Pramuk." Buakaw's first fight after leaving Por Pramuk Gym was a success. He knocked out Rustem Zaripov at 2:45 of the 2nd round with accurate punches. On May 31, 2012, Buakaw told the press that he wanted to end the dispute between him and Por. Pramuk Gym. For a time, Buakaw was seen in jiujitsu, judo, and wrestling classes. An MMA career would have allowed Buakaw to fight without breaching his contract with the Por. Pramuk boxing camp. Nevertheless, Buakaw returned to the ring on August 17, 2012, when he defeated Abdoul Toure by way of TKO in round 2. Buakaw beat Mauro Serra via TKO in the quarter-finals of the 2012 Thai Fight 70 kg Tournament at Thai Fight 2012: King of Muay Thai in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 23, 2012. He then defeated Tomoyuki Nishikawa by unanimous decision in the tournament semi-finals in Nakhon Ratchasima on November 25, 2012. He fought Vitaly Gurkov in the final on December 16, 2012, and won the Thai Fight tournament via decision. On March 27, 2013, Buakaw faced his friend and teammate Harlee Avison in a staged exhibition match, which was free to the public, at the brand new Beeline Arena in Cambodia. On May 6, 2013, Buakaw again went off script to KO Malik Watson in round two in an exhibition match at MAX Muay Thai 1 in Surin, Thailand. Buakaw made his return to legitimate fighting with a decision win over Dong Wen Fei in a three-round kickboxing match at MAX Muay Thai 3 in China on August 10, 2013. He re-signed with K-1 in August 2013 and returned with a first round body shot KO of David Calvo at the K-1 World MAX 2013 World Championship Tournament Final 16 in Mallorca, Spain on September 14, 2013. In their fourth meeting, Buakaw bested Yoshihiro Sato on points at MAX Muay Thai 4 in Sendai, Japan, on October 6, 2013. He beat Enriko Kehl by decision at MAX Muay Thai 5: The Final Chapter in Khon Kaen, Thailand on December 10, 2013. Buakaw defeated Zhou Zhi Peng on points after an extension round at the K-1 World MAX 2013 World Championship Tournament Quarter-finals - Part 1 in Foshan, China on December 28, 2013. Zhou attempted to turn the fight into a brawl, and despite Buakaw doing enough to win the decision, the judges sent it to an extra round in which Buakaw suffered a cut from a head butt. In spite of this, Buakaw was able to establish dominance to take the fight and advance in the tournament. At the K-1 World MAX 2013 World Championship Tournament Final 4 in Baku, Azerbaijan, on February 23, 2014, he beat Lee Sung-Hyun by unanimous decision in the semi-finals. Buakaw beat Victor Nagbe via unanimous decision at Combat Banchamek in Surin, Thailand, on April 14, 2014. He knocked out Adaylton Parreira De Freitas in round two at Muay Thai in Macau on June 6, 2014. Buakaw was scheduled to fight Fabio Pinca for the vacant WMC World Junior Middleweight (-69.9 kg/154 lb) Championship at Monte Carlo Fighting Masters 2014 in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on June 14, 2014. However, Pinca was injured in a bout with Thongchai Sitsongpeenong in February and was replaced by Djime Coulibaly. Buakaw defeated Coulibaly via unanimous decision to take the belt. Buakaw was initially set to rematch Enriko Kehl in the K-1 World MAX 2013 World Championship Tournament Final in Pattaya, Thailand, on 26 July 2014. However, the event was postponed due to the 2014 Thai coup d'état. On 12 October 2014 he lost to Kehl by forfeit in the K-1 World Max Final event in Pattaya. Buakaw lost the TopKing World Series Semifinal Tournament (TK4) against Russian fighter Khayal Dzhaniev in a controversial decision. Many Muay Thai journalists have stated that Buakaw should have won the match. Buakaw also suffered from deep cuts in his head inflicted by Khayal's elbows while Khayal suffered broken ribs. Khayal was later hospitalized upon being forced to forfeit the final match that same night.

2017

Kunlun Fight 2017

Buakaw fought Chinese fighter Kong Lingfeng in the main event at Kunlun Fight 62 on June 10, 2017, in Bangkok, Thailand. He won the fight by decision. Buakaw was expected to headline the debut of Kunlun Fight in France on November 11 in Paris. The event didn't happen and Buakaw fought in China at Kunlun Fight 67 where he knocked out Dutch Marouan Toutouh in the second round with punches.

All Star Fight

Buakaw defeated French Azize Hlali by knockout in the first round in the headline bout at All Star Fight on August 20, 2017, in Bangkok, Thailand. On September 30 Buakaw scored the decision against Sergey Kuliaba of Ukraine at All Star Fight 2 in Bangkok. On December 10 Buakaw was expected to fight Fabio Pinca at All Star Fight 3 held in Paris, but the Frenchman pulled out after suffering the knockout defeat against Uzbekistan's Anvar Boynazarov at Glory 47 Lyon on October 28, 2017.

2018

Buakaw faced Nayanesh Ayman in China at Kunlun Fight 69 on February 4, 2018, where he won via first-round knockout. Buakaw is expected to challenge Spanish Jonay Risco for 70 kg title on March 9, 2018, at Enfusion kickboxing promotion in Abu Dhabi. Buakaw fought Portuguese Luis Passos on 28 of April 2018 on All Star Fight 3 in Bangkok Thailand where he won via unanimous decision. He fought three more times in 2018 on All Star Fight events held in Hong Kong, Prague and Pattaya respectively. He won on all three occasions by points.

2019

Buakaw headlined All Star Fight: World Soldier on March 9, 2019, in Bangkok Thailand. The show was organized in partnership with the Royal Thai Army to promote the national sport of Muay Thai as well as the fighters, several of whom are soldiers including Buakaw. He fought against Russian kickboxer, Artem Pashporin and won by unanimous decision. Buakaw was scheduled to face Chris Ngimbi at MAS Fight Muay Thai under MAS Fight rules (1 round of 9 minutes) on October 27, 2019, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He defeated Ngimbi by technical knockout at 4:10 of the fight.

2021

In 2021, Buakaw was named the executive director for the Kickboxing Association of Thailand. He would serve as the manager for the Thailand national kickboxing team, leading them to 2 gold medals and 12 total medals at the 2021 SEA Games in Hanoi.

2022

After a nearly three-year-long hiatus, Buakaw made his return to competition against Dmitry Varats at World Fight Tournament in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on July 6, 2022. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Exhibition matches at Rajadamnern Stadium

In 2022, Buakaw was named chairman of the Board of Development of Rajadamnern Stadium, where he would oversee the development of both Muay Thai and competition within the stadium. That year, Buakaw also participated in a series of exhibition kickboxing matches that headlined the newly launched Rajadamnern World Series (RWS) promotion at Rajadamnern Stadium. On August 19, 2022, Buakaw defeated Kota Miura by third-round knockout. Buakaw was scheduled to face Yoshihiro Sato in a rematch of their K-1 World MAX 2008 quarter-final match, which he lost by knockout, on October 28, 2022. Buakaw went on to defeat Sato by first-round knockout in an exhibition match. On December 9, 2022, Buakaw faced Ukrainian fighter Oleksandr Yefimenko. With neither fighter unable to produce a knockout after three rounds, the fight was declared a draw.

2023

On April 13, 2023, it was announced that Buakaw would be facing Rukiya Anpo at Rizin 42 on May 6, 2023. The fight was ruled a draw by unanimous decision. Two judges scored the bout an even 30–30, while the third ringside official awarded Anpo and Buakaw a round each for a 29–29 scorecard. Buakaw faced Yasuhiro Kido in a kickboxing match at Legend of Rajadamnern: Last of the Generation on September 9, 2023. The bout ended in the second round after Buakaw accidentally headbutted Kido, opening a cut in his forehead, leading to a no contest. Buakaw then faced Wang Yanlong at Grandview International Fight Super Competition on September 24, 2023. In the first round Yanlong hit Buakaw's groin several times, leading Buakaw to launch an assault of knees at Yanlong. Yanlong criticized the knees and refused to continue fighting, thus the bout was declared a no contest. Buakaw is scheduled to face Nayanesh Ayman at Legend of Rajadamnern: The Revenge on December 2, 2023. Buakaw won the bout via unanimous decision.

2024

Buakaw faced Minoru Kimura at Rizin Landmark 9 on March 23, 2024. Buakaw defeated Kimura by second-round knockout.

Exhibition fight with Manny Pacquiao

Buakaw was initially expected to fight boxing legend Manny Pacquiao in an exhibition match in January 2024. On July 21, 2023, Pacquiao and Buakaw met in a press conference held in Bangkok, Thailand to promote their exhibition superfight in January 2024. However, on December 31, 2023, it was published that the bout will now take place on April 20, 2024. On March 9, 2024, the fight's promoter Fresh Air Festival announced that the fight would be further postponed from the original date of April 20. According to the promoter, discussions for a new date are still ongoing. Their exhibition match is set to take place at a 155 lbs catchweight and will be under the international boxing rules. The fight is scheduled for six three-minute rounds, with two-minute break in between rounds. According to the promoter of the event, the Pacquiao vs. Buakaw match has a total investment of $25 million.

K-1 World Max tournament

After the exhibition bout with Pacquiao was postponed, Buakaw entered the K-1 World MAX 2024 tournament, initially expected to face Ouyang Feng in the first round. However, Feng withdrew from the bout due to a rib injury. Buakaw ultimately faced the to-be tournament winner Stoyan Koprivlenski, losing via unanimous decision.

Bare-knuckle boxing

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

On July 13, 2022, it was announced by David Feldman, President and Founder of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, that Buakaw had signed a deal to fight for BKFC. He made his debut headlining BKFC Thailand 3: Moment of Truth on September 3, 2022, where he defeated Erkan Varol by first-round knockout. On October 26, 2022, it was announced that Buakaw is scheduled to face Muay Thai legend Saenchai in a bare-knuckle Muay Thai bout in March 2023 at a BKFC event. In mid-February 2023, it was announced that due to legal implications regarding the use of the name muay thai in marketing material, the bout was indefinitely postponed and effectively canceled. In June 2023, BKFC Asia CEO Nick Chapman announced that the fight with Saenchai was on again, this time taking place at BKFC Thailand 5: Legends of Siam on November 5, 2023, with the bout promoted as a Special Rules Bare Knuckle Thai Fight. Buakaw won the fight by unanimous decision.

Football career

RBAC

Buakaw enrolled in Rattana Bundit University's business administration, he graduated in 2016. In February 2014, he signed for RBAC F.C., the association football club representing Rattana Bundit University, which plays in the Regional League Division 2 and is the reserve team of BEC Tero Sasana F.C., who plays in the Thai Premier League. Buakaw is a graduate in Bachelor of Business Administration from Rattana Bundit University (RBAC). Playing as a forward, he made his debut on February 16.

Buakaw Village

He owns a resort-style development project called Buakaw Village in Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai province, Thailand. The project was founded in April 2018 after Banchamek Gym, previously located in Bangkok, was deemed incapable of handling the influx of Thais and foreigners who came to train at the gym. Its facilities include a Muay Thai gym, a restaurant, and bungalows that can be rented by people who come to train at the Muay Thai gym.

Titles

Kickboxing

Muay Thai

Shoot Boxing

Accomplishments

Fight record

! style=background:white colspan=9 |For the Enfusion -70kg World Championship. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the PFC Junior Middle Weight Championship. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Lost the Wu Lin Feng World Championship. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the Kunlun Fight Muaythai Middleweight World Championship. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the Wu Lin Feng World Championship. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Retains the WMC Junior Middleweight World championship. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |For the K-1 World MAX 2014 World Championship Tournament title. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the WBC Muaythai Diamond World Championship ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the WMC Junior Middleweight World championship. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |For The K-1 World MAX 2013 World Tournament Semi-Final. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |K-1 World MAX 2013 World Tournament Quarter-Final. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |K-1 World MAX 2013 World Championship Tournament Final 16. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the 2012 THAI FIGHT -70 kg/154 lb Tournament Championship Final. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |70 kg Tournament Semi-finals. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |70 kg Tournament Quarter-finals. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the 2011 THAI FIGHT -70 kg/154 lb Tournament Championship. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins WMC World Junior Middleweight title. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the Shoot Boxing World Tournament S-Cup 2010. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Qualifies for K-1 World MAX 2009 Final. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins WMC/MAD Muaythai Super Welterweight World title. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Qualifies for K-1 World MAX 2009 Final 8. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Fails to qualify for K-1 World MAX 2008 Final. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Qualifies for K-1 World MAX 2008 Final 8. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Qualifies for K-1 World MAX 2007 World Tournament Final. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Retains WMC Muaythai Super Welterweight World title. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins K-1 World MAX 2006 World Championship title. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Qualifies for K-1 World MAX 2006 World Championship Final. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins WMC Muaythai Super Welterweight World title. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins S1 Super-Welterweight World title. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Fight was for K-1 World MAX 2005 World Championship title. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Qualifies for K-1 World MAX 2005 Championship Final. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins K-1 World MAX 2004 World Championship title. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Qualifies for K-1 World MAX 2004 World Tournament Final. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the Toyota Muay Thai Marathon 140 lbs Tournament title. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the Omnoi Stadium Lightweight title. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |For the vacant Lumpinee Stadium Featherweight title. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the vacant Thailand Featherweight title. ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the Omnoi Stadium Featherweight title.

Exhibition kickboxing record

Bare knuckle Muay Thai record

Bare knuckle boxing record

Exhibition boxing record

Filmography