Chantal Ughi talks her return to Muay Thai, the difficulties of being a female in the sport and more

Chantal Ughi recently returned to action after recovering from a knee injury. Muay Thai Authority caught up with here this past week as she prepared to step in the ring. Chantal won her fight and as of today (March 23rd), Chantal has won 3 fights in one week. Chantal is now the WMF, WMA and WPMF world champion. Of her 3 fights in one week Chantal said the following: “It was an amazing week and the best thing was to be part of a team! Thank you WMF Team de France and the friends that helped and supported...!”

MTA: You have been living in Thailand for four years, what prompted the move to Thailand?

Chantal: I started Muay Thai in New York at the Wat with Kru Phil Nurse. I had only competed in a couple of amateur fights at the WKA national tournament in Virginia. I wasn't happy with my artist and actress life in New York, so I went to Thailand to study Muay Thai for a month. I ended up staying for 6 weeks and having my first professional fight. I was hooked. During that trip I had also met a couple of fighters Sean Wright from the First Contender Asia, that were living in Thailand at the time and that inspired me to do the same. I needed a change in my life and becoming a professional fighter was a big challenge. So I went back to New York, subletted my apartment sold most of my stuff, quit my bartending gig in an east Village bar, and moved to Thailand for the good.

MTA: How did you first get involved with Muay Thai, was it simply a hobby or was your plan to always compete?

Chantal: I had always liked all kind of sports and Martial arts in particular. I used to run the 800 meters and played tennis from the age of 7 till 14 and quit before turning pro, played soccer and volleyball in the school team. I did one year of karate and Taekwondo in Italy. I was looking for a Martial art in NY and a friend suggested me to check out a class in a gym basement at the time it was a crazy high contact Martial art called Thai boxing or Muay Thai. From that day I never left. At the beginning I was just doing it for fitness and to keep in shape but I soon started to get involved in the spiritual aspect of it and in competing. Until one day my teacher asked me “Chantal do you want to fight?”

MTA: How difficult was the adjustment when you moved to Thailand?

Chantal: Well. At the beginning for me it was very easy to adjust mentally. I was very excited about Thailand culture that was so new to me. I first was in Chiang Mai for three months and trained at Lanna Muay, Nong Toom original gym. The hardest thing was to physically adjust to the new training regime I believe. Getting up at 6 am half asleep, getting on a pick up truck that was leaving us 10 kilometers far away from the gym and we had to go back running up the hills in the forest and waterfalls, training for 6 hours a day morning and afternoon. The heat, but after a while your body will adjust. I knew I had to push myself, and I did.

MTA: You have made a solid name for yourself in the fight scene, but as many other females in the sport encounter it is a lot more difficult to get fights. Have you had any difficulties because you are female competing in a sport that is run by men?

Chantal: Oh yes. Being a female in a sport run by men has definitely been more difficult. There is a lot to say about this. Sometimes I had to take fights above my weight class or travel all the way to somebody's hometown in order to stay active and be able to fight. Still today most of the main international cards are reserved to men's fights. Still some people and some promoters don't like the idea of women fighting.

I am not talking in Thailand but all around the world. I hope that we female fighters like myself Julie kitchen, Miriam Nakamoto or Angie Parr, can make a difference for the future generations to come. And that Muay Thai will be considered and equal sport for both men and women. I mean I still get email from women asking me if is safe for a girl to come and train alone Muay Thai in Thailand. The Muay Thai world in Thailand is still pretty misogynist. Women still have to pass under the bottom rope when entering the ring, Thai girls are still put on the bag in Thai gyms and not let inside the ring, to don't talk about clinching with the boys, although Southern Thailand is pretty open to tourists and women are welcome in the gyms there, the rest of the country is not like that. I myself had to under go a lot of misogyny during the whole time I have been here.

That is why some promoters like Karen Bullet from Australia or the Muaythai Premiere League that created a female division in their rooster are very important for the future of women in Muay Thai or what Christine Toledo is now doing with Lyon Promotions. I myself hope to be more involved and help the development of women Muay Thai in the future.

MTA: What do you have coming up as far as fights go?

Chantal: A month prior my MPL fight debut in Padova Italy I had torn my MCL in training. Some doctors told me to withdraw from the competition; some others told me I could have fought anyways. I decided to fight anyways or they would have substituted me. But unluckily in my MPL fight in October I re-tore my MCL again in the second round of that fight. Despite me winning the first round I then was able to finish the fight but lost on points. I didn't need surgery but I have had two and a half months of rehab and Physiotherapy. I have been back training since December/January and tomorrow March 17th on Nai Khanom tom day I am going to have my first fight back in the ring in 6 months. I am pretty excited. I then have scheduled a world title fight for WMF pro belt in April.

I have few other fights scheduled for the year but nothing confirmed one hundred per cent. A few fighters I would like to have a rematch with. I am also waiting for a rematch with Julie Kitchen. I have been waiting for that for three years already. I was supposed to fight her last year for a WBC title in Bangkok but at the last minute it didn't happen. And hopefully the Muaythai Premiere League might start again later on this year.

MTA: Any plans of moving back to New York or is Thailand your permanent residence now?

Chantal: Tough question. I have been thinking about it quite a lot lately...I would like to stay in Thailand until the end of this year or a little longer maybe, but after four years it is the time for me to decide do I want to stay or do I want to go? I am kind of thinking that I would have more opportunity in the sport in general and as a woman, back in the States or in Europe and in Italy right now in particular where there are doing a lot of Muay Thai shows every where almost twice a week. It seems that Muay Thai is exploding all around the world but a little imploding in Thailand. I also would like to dedicate my self to teaching Muay Thai to women in the future maybe open my own gym somewhere, but certainly not in Thailand.

MTA: Anything you would like to say to your fans and supporters?

Chantal: I just won last night my came back fight by TKO rd 2! Chantal is back and ready for more fights! I want to thank all my fans for their love and support, it means a lot to me always, being a nak muay is not easy, especially out here in the kingdom of Siam, and having people out there that cheer you and care for you is very important. And remember: If you want to fight, don’t think about the money. Fight for your heart. If you build your name the money will come. If you build your name, you will build the sport. If you build the sport, you will build Muay Thai and Thai culture. If you build Thai culture, you build your heart. I also want to thank my sponsor Yokkao boxing, and the MPL for the great opportunity that has given me and other top female fighters in the sport.

Thank you Nathan and Muay Thai Authority.