Pinoy fighters emerge victorious in Muay Thai at NPAT
It was a momentous evening for Philippine martial arts as two Filipino fighters took home world titles at the recently concluded Muay Thai Championships held at the Newport Performing Arts Theater (NPAT) here at Resorts World Manila. The fans went wild at the full-on martial arts action last June 26, 2011, which was also aired live to over 30 million Muay Thai fans in China.
Reinhart Badato bagged the WBC Muay Thai International Superfeatherweight title while Romie Adanza took home the WBC Muay Thai International Featherweight belt.
Filipino by ancestry but raised and trained in Australia, Badato silenced Malaysian Saiful Merican via knockout during the first round. Merican was about to use his knee to hit Badato but the latter countered with a smashing left hook that pinned the Malaysian down. “I was waiting for him,” Badato said during his post fight interview. “My plan really was to give him a left counter, then follow it up with a right elbow. Fortunately, I was able to land that punch to the jaw of the Malaysian,” he added.
US-based Romie Adanza on the other hand, defeated Huang Haigong of China for the WBC Muay Thai Superfeatherweight duel.
Three titles were up for the taking at the Muay Thai Championships: Shandong International, WCK MuayThai and WBC Muay Thai titles.
Korea’s Jae Gil Noh was undefeated in the Shandong World Sanda Four-Man 75 kg category. The Korean narrowly edged out Fil-Aussie Michael Badato, brother of Reinhart, with a 44-43 score. In the other match, Chinese Lu Jian Tsao outclassed American Dorian Price with a TKO in the first round. Tsao would later on submit to Jae Gil Noh, who again had a one point victory, 34-33, to emerge as the Shandong champ.
In another interesting bout, China’s “Most Beautiful Fighter” Bai Jing, 22 stopped 17 year-old N. Sawatdee of Thailand for the Shandong International Women’s Lightweight title.
Bai Jing’s compatriot Li Yiang won the Men’s Shandong International Super Middleweight title at the expense of Filipino Alny Garambas.
World Muay Thai Championships at NPAT is the first time the event was ever held in the country, making Newport Performing Arts Theater and Resorts World Manila a truly world-class entertainment and sports hub. Previous editions were held in Los Angeles and Las Vegas in the US and in Beijing, China.
IN PICTURES- First Page, Romie Adanza fighting China's Huang Haigong and Reinhart Badato celebrating his win. Second Page, top to bottom, Michael Badato meeting Korean Jae Gil Noh, Jae Gil Noh later fighting China's Lu Jian Tsao and China's Bai Jing up against Thailand's N. Sawatdee.
