Julie Kitchen will fight again, on one condition

Julie Kitchen has signed a contract to appear on Awakening’s first all-female Muay Thai show. The event which is set for summer 2015, will be hosted in the UK and streamed around the world. Awakening are making a bold move in the way in which they are organising the event, as it all rests on the success of the female fight community getting behind a Kickstarter campaign which starts on the 3rd of November. If the campaign doesn’t generate enough pre-sales, then we won’t get to see the Queen of Muay Thai fight one last time.

Awakening appeared on the scene just two years ago with their unique athlete database, and promotion of female fighters offering female athletes around the world another platform of exposure. Awakening is now looking to take another step forward and start hosting Muay Thai events.

“Thankyou to Awakening and I wish them success with the kickstarter, I hope each fan will make a donation to help contribute to Awakenings first show ever, there is only a 30 day window to make this happen, and all support is needed. x” Julie Kitchen

“I hope there is enough support to make this event happen and set my destiny to step in the ring again. If you are unable to make the event you can pre order your stream viewing very soon to support the campaign. X” Julie Kitchen

“It really is a novel approach to securing the funding to put on such an event. The event will be fan funded with a kick-starter campaign from you the fans by pre-ordering the live stream. Women’s fighting has always faced so many uphill struggles and now you, the fan, can make a real impact. I can not even begin to put into words how excited I am to be a part of such an event! Julie and I have very different styles and I am so excited to test myself against a legend.” Lindsay Haycraft

“We’ve always wanted to host Awakening events.The emphasis will always be on treating athletes with the respect they deserve, paying what they are worth, and not tying them down to multi-fight deals that might limit the progression of their career. You might be wondering… why Muay Thai? We feel that WMMA would be a much harder scene to slot into, but Muay Thai has a huge gap waiting for us.” Rew Mitchell / CEO of Awakening

“We get a lot of positive feedback from female fighters everywhere, and we’ve been asked quite a few times why we aren’t putting on shows. The only reason we haven’t done so yet is funding. A Kickstarter campaign puts the power into the hands of the community… if they believe in us, and want a show, then it’ll happen.” Andy Wilmot / Director of Awakening

The kickstarter campaign will need to raise around $48,000 of the $87,000 total that Awakening will need to host the event. Awakening aim to raise the rest through sponsorship deals if the campaign is successful.A more detailed breakdown of the costs will be available on the campaign’s kickstarter page when it is launched in a few days.

Fight fans will be able to pay for a pre-order stream and tickets at a discounted price, among other items. For the campaign to be a success Awakening only needs to achieve around 4,000 pre sales between Nov 3rd and Dec 2nd.

Results and Recap: Muay Thai in America "In Honor of the King"

Muay Thai in America “In Honor of the King” took place last night at Raleigh Studios in Playa Vista, CA. In the night’s main event Canadian powerhouse Simon Marcus faced Sadibou Sy of Sweden. Marcus was able to keep his perfect record intact as he improved to 29-0 with a third round knockout. Early on in the fight Sy was using some good ring movement to keep Marcus from walking him down, Sy was also able to connect with some solid punches. In the third round Marcus continued to move forward as he tried to walk Sy down, once in range Marcus connected with a right elbow to the head of Sy that clearly hurt him and Marcus followed with a left elbow that sent Sy down. Sy was unable to get up and the fight was stopped. Marcus is now 6-0 in 2012 and continues to show why he is considered one of the best in the world.

In the night’s co-main event Amanda Kelly and Julie Kitchen put on a show for the fans as they fought five hard rounds of non stop action. From the start of the fight Kelly was the aggressor in the bout and was very comfortable in the clinch as she looked to land elbows and knees. Kitchen was more than willing to exchange with Kelly and as the rounds passed she got a bit more aggressive. In the end it seems like Kelly’s constant pressure and forward movement helped her get the split decision victory from the judges. A huge win for Amanda Kelly, it will be interesting to see who she fights next.

Chike Lindsay was able to defeat Christpohe Pruvost by unanimous decision after five hard fought rounds. Lindsay took the lead early as he used his blend of speed and strength to connect with nice combinations as well as work well in the clinch. Pruvost began to get more aggressive in the later rounds, but Lindsay was accurate with his strikes. Despite Pruvost being able to land some solid strikes in the later rounds it was too little too late.

In what can simply be descried as a back and forth barn burner of a fight Andy Howson and Thanit Watthanaya showed nothing but heart in their bout. After a slow first round things rapidly picked up when Watthanaya knocked Howson down in the second round with a perfectly timed punch. In the third round Howson returned the favor by landing a right that sent Watthanaya to the canvas. Once back on his feet Watthanaya seemed to still be dazed a bit and Howson pounced trying to finish the fight and both fighters exchanged shot for shot in an exciting round. In the fourth round Howson was once again able to knockdown Watthanaya and after Watthanaya was back on his feet both fighters continued to sling the leather, but it was clear that Howson was getting the better of the exchanges. In the fifth round Watthanaya connected with a right that sent Howson down. As Howson tried to get back to his feet it was clear he was hurt as he wobbled trying to gain in his balance and the referee was forced to stop the fight. This was a huge win for Watthanaya and an extremely exciting fight.

Paul Karpowicz and Coke Chunhawat kicked off the main card in a solid bout that introduced one of England’s best young talents to the American audience. Karpowicz from the start of the fight used solid combinations and good movement to stifle Coke’s attacks. Karpowicz used a well versed attack than included everything tool in his arsenal. Despite Chunhawat turning the pressure on in the later rounds, Karpowicz was able to hold his ground and continue his attacks. All three judges scored the bout 50-45 for Karpowicz, awarding him the unanimous decision victory.

In the night’s first under card bout Joseph Valtellini out struck Mehdi Baghdad to win a unanimous decision. Valtellini used nice combinations in the fight and constantly attacked Baghdad’s legs with kicks. Baghdad seemed to have no answer for Valtellini’s attack, but in the fourth round an elbow from Baghdad opened up a cut on the top of Valtellini’s head that began to bleed profusely. At one point the bout was stopped so the doctor could check on the cut, it seemed it might be over but they allowed the fight to continue. Valtellini continued to attack Baghdad’s legs and use his combinations to score until the end of the fight.

Salah Abdelsalam defeated Justin Greskiewicz by (T)KO in the third round. Greskiewicz and Abdelsalam were involved in a close fight when Abdelsalam landed a perfectly timed elbow to the right eye of Greskiewicz. It was immediately noticeable that Greskiewicz was hurt as he dropped to the canvas and signaled he could not continue. His right eye immediately became swollen and was closed as the elbow from Abdelsalam cut Greskiewicz eyelid.

Greg Wootton and Noun Soriya were involved in an entertaining fight. It was clear that the taller Wootton was on a mission from the start of the fight as he pressed forward attacking Soriya. Despite Wootton’s clear height advantage Soriya used everything in his arsenal, including some unorthodox methods. At one point Soriya fell to his knees after a slip but continued to punch Wootton to the body. The referee gave Soriya a warning but the crowd loved it as laughs and cheers came for Soriya. In the third round Wootton came out on a clear mission and after cornering Soriya he began to unload elbows and punches on Soriya eventually landing a knee to the body that knocked Soriya down and the referee stopped the bout.

Results:

Simon Marcus def. Sadibou Sy via KO (Elbow) at 1:07 of Rd. 3

Amanda Kelly def. Julie Kitchen via Split Decision

Chike Lindsay def. Christophe Pruvost via Unanimous Decision

Thanit Watthanaya def. Andy Howson via KO at 1:01 of Rd. 5

Paul Karpowicz def. Coke Chunhawat via Unanimous Decision

Joseph Valtellini def. Mehdi Baghdad via Unanimous Decision

Salah Abdelsalam def. Justin Greskiewicz via KO at 2:28 of Rd. 3

Greg Wootton def. Noun Soriya via (T)KO at 2:27 of Rd. 3

Pictures: Julie Kitchen training for Amanda Kelly

Scott Hirano (@ScottHirano) was on hand to cover Julie Kitchen as she trains for her upcoming fight against Amanda Kelly at Muay Thai In America's "In Honor of the King." Julie has been training in Los Angeles with trainer Paulo Tocha and will be fighting Amanda on December 1st at Raleigh Studios. Here are few snap shots, but be sure to  check out the entire gallery on the embedded slideshow below.

 

MTIA returns with December 1st event featuring Simon Marcus, Julie Kitchen, Rungravee, Coke, and Chike Lindsay

Muay Thai in America (MTIA) is set to return on December 1, 2012 for their event "In Honor of the King" a celebration of the King of Thailand's 85th Birthday. The MTIA event will take place at Raleigh Studio in Playa Vista and will be available for PPV purchase on Direct TV and INDEMAND.

Headlining the event will be a bout between Canadian power house Simon Marcus and Sweden’s Sadibou Sy. Marcus is regarded by many one of the top three light heavyweights in the world and will be seeing his first action since his May win over Joe Schilling at Lion Fight Muay Thai VI. Sy comes in looking to cement his name in the international scene; a win over the likes of Simon Marcus will make that happen.

Pictures: WCK Muay Thai "Nakamoto vs. Kitchen"

Scott Hirano was on hand at Pala Casino this past Saturday to snap pictures of all the night's action including the much anticipated bout between Julie Kitchen and Miriam Nakamoto. Make sure to like Scott Hirano's official facebook page and follow him on twiiter @ScottHirano.

Results and Recap: WCK Muay Thai "Nakamoto vs. Kitchen"

WCK Muay Thai was in full swing at Pala Casino in Pala, CA last night. The main event was the highly anticipated fight between America's Miriam Nakamoto and England's Julie Kitchen, and the bout did not disappoint.

Nakamoto and Kitchen had their full arsenal on display as they fought back and forth for five hard fought rounds. With all the build up leading up to the fight there was no let down and the fans were treated to a great fight. Both fighters answered the other's strikes with their own. The fight was extremely close and in the end the judges awarded Nakamoto the victory by unanimous decision.

Pictures: Julie Kitchen training in Los Angeles for Miriam Nakamoto fight

Scott Hirano was on hand at Function 5 Fitness in Los Angeles, CA to snap pictures of Julie Kitchen training for her upcoming bout with Miriam Nakamoto at the WCK Muay Thai event in Pala, CA on August 18th. As always, great work by Scott Hirano. Make sure to follow him on twitter @ScottHirano and like his official facebook page.

Julie Kitchen talks about her upcoming fight against Miriam Nakamoto

On August 18th Julie Kitchen and Miriam Nakamoto will square off at Pala Casino in California under the WCK Muay Thai banner. The bout will be the biggest fight to take place in the history of women’s Muaythai. Julie Kitchen headed to California early to prepare for her fight and was kind enough to take some time from her schedule to answer a few questions about the upcoming fight against Miriam Nakamoto.

Miriam Nakamoto vs. Julie Kitchen set for August 18th WCK Muay Thai event

The most anticipated fight in women’s Muay Thai is set to take place August 18th at Pala Casino & Spa in Pala, CA. Miriam Nakamoto and Julie Kitchen have signed to fight under the WKC Muay Thai banner this coming August. The fight has been over a year in the making and fans will finally get to see these two spectacular fighters tangle in the ring. On the line will be the WCK Champion of Champions title.

The bout was originally set to take place in December of 2010, but an injury to Kitchen postponed the fight which was then expected to take place in 2011. It seemed Nakamoto and Kitchen would finally be meeting in the ring when both signed to compete in the Muaythai Premier League, but a knee injury forced Nakamoto out of the league. With something occurring both times this fight was scheduled that forced it to be cancelled, fans need to keep their fingers crossed that the third time will be a charm.

Julie Kitchen talks about her recent win against Aleide Lawant and wanting to fight Miriam Nakamoto

Julie Kitchen recently defeated Aleide Lawant to win her 14th world title. Muay Thai Authority caught up with Julie to talk about her win against Lawant as well as some recent comments made by Miriam Nakamoto.

MTA: You recently defeated Aleide Lawant, how would you rate that fight for yourself?

Julie: I am over the moon to win this fight as it proved to everyone that the accidental head butt resulting in a no contest by Maria Bastastin in December was the only thing stopping me from winning the Enfusion Finals. I was so left not only scarred for life but hugely disappointed with what happened as I worked very hard for the opportunity of winning the $4000 prize. I do totally respect Aleide though who gave me the opportunity to prove the point and also for being an outstanding and strong opponent who remained dangerous throughout the 5 rounds. I would recommend any promoter to deal with Aleide and her team as they were truly professional throughout.

Coaching the Kitchen Clan

by Flip English

Being Nathan Kitchen requires a steady set of nerves. When game time comes and he plays his role of coach there is extra strain on his mind. The fighters he corners are his wife and two daughters so the pressure to win is unique. In this scenario if his fighters lose a match then the defeat is the worst of wounds, cutting deeper into flesh and closer to the heart because he is more than just their coach. As father and husband a loss is an amplified pain. It can feel like a failure to protect, an obligation that comes with being the man of the house. It’s not a stress most trainers endure since they don’t go home with their work, but Nathan bears it well turning his worries into focus:“I train all three very hard and put in a lot of extra time so I don’t have to watch them get hurt in the ring.”

Because his fighters are his family it strengthens the incentive to care for kin, and probably the reason why the Kitchens thrive in the sport. But to be a serious trainer Nathan must commit to strict demands, one of which involving a separation of minds. Mentally he divides the roles of family man and coach, coldly detaching the two so that their camp doesn’t soften.

10 fights we want to see in 2012

2011 was a great year for Muay Thai in North America, we have decided to compile a list of ten fights we would love to see in 2012. All of the fights include a North American fighter, and if we are lucky and any of these fights do happen in 2012, then hopefully they will all be on North American soil. Fights include a range of fighters from Canadian's Jesse Miles and Simon Marcus to American powerhouses Joe Schilling and Ky Hollenbeck.

Keep in mind that there are many exciting fights that could be made, but these are ten that we would consider competitive, and ground breaking or entertaining. Of course there are various variations or other fights that we would love to see, but we had to limit ourselves to ten fights only. Chime in with fights you want to see in 2012 and why you would like to see that fight happen.

Results and Recap: Muaythai Premier League "Blood & Steel"

The third leg of the Muaythai Premier League (MPL) took place on November 6th in The Hauge, Netherlands. The event dubbed "Blood & Steel" once again featured some of the best fighters in the world including Nathan Crobett, Julie Kitchen, Nieky Hozlken, Marco Pique, Ky Hollenbeck, Yohan Lidon and Artem Levin.

American Ky Hollenbeck is the lone American representative in the league portion of the MPL, his opponent for the night was Dutch fighter Nieky Holzken. Hollenbeck has faced tough competition all year and each time out he was considered the underdog. After his win in October over the UK's Jordan Watson the talks were no longer about Hollenbeck being able to hang with the elite, but if his opponents could figure out how to beat him. Holzken had the answer, he made sure to make Hollenbeck pay for the few mistakes he made. Hollenbeck was competitive in the fight, but the few mistakes he made ended up costing him dearly against Holzken.

Pictures: Julie Kitchen training for her fight with Sandra Bastian

Scott Hirano was on hand to capture some pictures of Julie Kitchen as she trains for her fight with Sandra Bastian. Julie and Sandra will be fighting at the Muaythai Premier League's (MPL) "Blood and Steel" event in Holland on November 6th. Julie looks to earn her second win in as many tries as Sandra looks to get her first win of the MPL.

Pictures: MPL "Blood & Steel" weigh-ins

The weigh-ins for the Muaythai Premier League's (MPL) "Blood & Steel" are complete. The event will take place on November 6th in Holland and will feature some of the best fighters from around the world. Nathan Corbett, Julie Kitchen, Artem Levin, Simon Marcus, Ky Hollenbeck, Nieky Holzken and Marco Pique will all be in action. Below are pictures by Scott Hirano of the weigh-ins for "Blood & Steel".

Pictures: Sandra Bastian training for her fight with Julie Kitchen

Sandra Bastian from Canada will be fighting Julie Kitchen at the Muaythai Premier League's (MPL) "Blood & Steel" event on November 6th in Holland. Scott Hirano was able to capture some great shots of Bastian as she prepares for Kitchen.

USA vs. UK

With all of the excitement after Team America defeated Team Thailand at this past weekends M-One event in Los Angeles, the talks have now shifted to Team USA vs. Team UK. We have to give a disclaimer that none of the bouts listed are happening as of yet and that this is just our minds at work here at Muay Thai Authority, nothing is officially happening yet with any of these bouts.

If there were a Team USA vs. Team UK event, what would the match-ups be? We compiled what we think would be ten great match-ups pitting some of the best from the USA against some of the best from the UK. Below is a list of the fights that we feel would make one amazing USA vs. UK Muay Thai event.

Fight Card for MPL's "Baptism by Fire" event on November 6th

The MuayThai Premier League's (MPL) third event "Baptism by Fire" will be held in Hague, Netherlands on November 6th. The league bouts will once again be the focus of the event which will feature fighters such as Julie Kitchen, Yohan Lidon, Nieky Holzken, Ky Hollenbeck and Nathan Corbett. In addition two super fights will take place featuring two league fighters, Simon Marcus will take on Aussi and Marco Pique will take on Ali Gunyar.

The league format works much like a soccer league. The fighters get 3 points for a KO win, 2 points for a decision win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a loss. There are two groups A and B, a fighter must fight everyone in their group once and then the two fighters with the highest totals in each group will face off with the winners of groups A and B then fighting in the finals. There are a total of five weight classes that are part of the league format and in the end a five champions will be crowned.

Video: Julie Kitchen talks about her win over Martina Jindrova at the MPL's "Stars and Stripes"

Pictures: Muaythai Premier League "Stars and Stripes"

Muay Thai Authority's Scott Hirano was on hand as the Muaythai Premier League's official photographer for their "Stars and Stripes" event which took place Friday, September 2nd. The photo set includes photography from some of the weeks workouts, press conference and the event. Enjoy.