Two World Titles. Two Events. One night in Bolton - YOKKAO 23/24
Two world titles. Two events. One ticket in Bolton. The smell of Thai liniment oil and the sound of pads being smashed while fighters warm up is just one of many experiences while at a show. YOKKAO 23 - 24 will be absolutely no different. YOKKAO are renown for breaking boundaries and pushing the limits of what's achievable within Muay Thai on a global level. YOKKAO events are the best events outside of Thailand without a shadow of a doubt; with the biggest names in the sport coming together under one roof to put on a fantastic display of technique, heart and showmanship for the spectators that travel from all over the world to be a part of a ground-breaking experience for fighters and fight fans alike.
YOKKAO 23 & 24 was announced, as always, just after the previous YOKKAO show in October 2016 and since then has been blowing full steam ahead to solidify an exciting fight card that will get everyone invested. The West Yorkshire stablemates, and current YOKKAO World Champions, Liam Harrison and Jordan Watson lay both of their world titles on the line in just over two weeks time at the Bolton Macron Stadium. Jordan Watson will be sharing the canvas with Sorgraw Petchyindee.
These gentlemen need no introduction on the Muay Thai circuit, both have spent plenty of time in the ring with the some of the best in the world, having this duo headlining YOKKAO 23 and the fact that the 70kg YOKKAO World Title up for grabs means that everything will be on the line for these warriors and they needn't be taking training lightly as all is in play come March 25th. Liam Harrison will be battling a tough French opponent who is on an impressive winning streak at the moment and who is also looking to add the YOKKAO World Title and a win over one of the best farangs there is to his ever-growing resume.
Liam has been in the spotlight for a long time now and has shown his worth to the world on numerous occasions. This time round he said after he most recent fight, in February, that he will be putting everything into this one, that he will be ready for a war. Fans of Harrison wouldn't expect any thing less. Muay Thai in UK: Among these two headliners are some of the very top talent that the UK has to offer. YOKKAO released the full fight card for YOKKAO 23 and it shows just what it means to be able to fight on this show. Jake Purdy defends his No.1 spot against Scottish opponent Chris Shaw.
My Estlick is going to maintain his clean record on the YOKKAO stage against Irish opponent Craig Coakley. Joe Craven, who is a current YOKKAO Next Generation fighter, will be going toe to toe with Manchester based Harry Burton in a war of the roses. Chris Whittle, Owen Trykowski, Stewart Pringle and Matthew Crozier are all featuring on the card too. YOKKAO 24 is already boasts a card that is beyond that of any card a YOKKAO show has seen before. As previously mentioned, Harrison and Mekki will be headlining the show with the second of the two world titles on the line alongside one of the most sought after female fights that the UK has ever seen.
This fight was matched to happen in October but due to injury, it couldn't go ahead but both fighters have been training extremely hard for this one and will be more than ready to put on a show for fight fans in less than two weeks’ time. YOKKAO Next Generation fighter Amy Pirnie will be crossing paths with Dakota Ditcheva. Amy is more experienced than her younger opponent but don't let that fool you. Stephen Meleady was originally matched against Manachai, but due to his commitment to become with the prestigious Toyota Torunament in Thailand, he is unable to participate. Manachai has been replaced with a more than worthy opponent, Wuttichai YOKKAOSAENCHAIGYM who is only 24 but already holds an impressive resume of 173 fights with 138 wins.
Wuttichai is the newest addition to the YOKKAO Fight Team and is looking to come and make his name known with the UK fans with Irish born Meleady. Again, featuring giving the chance to the UK’s biggest names now, a chance to fight on the most exciting and highly regarding promotion outside of Thailand. Below, YOKKAO promoter discusses the ups and downs of being a fight promoter, what he is most looking forward to at the upcoming YOKKAO 23-24 and what sets YOKKAO the promotion apart from the other events around:
“Well, I describe it as a rollercoaster, it is exactly that. Literally you will receive some brilliant news and be on top of the world and 5 minutes later something else will happen like a pull out and you are at your lowest ebb again. It is very stressful and takes a lot out of you and it takes a while to get over. Everyone just witnesses the event on the day but never see what goes on behind the scenes. Promoting the biggest Muay Thai event in the world outside of Thailand is not easy, if it was then everyone would be doing it. I look forward to everything about the event, the buzz I get is immense. I love seeing everyone come together under one roof, even if not everyone gets on with each other. I love bringing the Thais over to fight in the UK and let all the fans see them live in action instead of just seeing them fight on YouTube. And what gives me the most satisfaction is seeing the young next generation fighters showcasing their skills on a massive stage, and watching them develop and becoming stars. Let's face it, if you fight on our event everyone in the world knows who you are because of the exposure you get. The thing that sets this event apart from other shows is the fight cards, exposure for fighters, which is worldwide, and the name. Everyone wants to fight on this event and everyone all over the world knows that this is the event to fight on, it's as simple as that. It's a who's who of fighter's that have fought Saenchai, Pakorn, Harrison, Watson, McAllister, Bennoui, Pinca, Dahlbeck, Yamoto, Singdam, Manachai, Wootton, McGowan the list is endless.”
Saturday March 25th. Two world titles. Two events in one night. The event is sold out, but you might be able to find the last few tickets at uk.yokkao.com/pages/events as quantities will automatically be available if there will be any returns.
