Muay Thai Icons Booked For Special Rules Bare-Knuckle Fight In March

Bare-knuckle boxing has quickly taken hold of the imagination of combat sports fans in recent years, and the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is upping the ante for its March 2023 card.

Nick Chapman, the owner and CEO of BKFC Asia, had announced on his Facebook that Muay Thai superstars Saenchai and Buakaw Banchamek have signed on for a "special-rules Muay Thai fight" on March 18 of next year.

Also according to Chapman, the fight will be held at 68.5kg (151 pounds) with the rules being set for five, two-minute rounds of bare-knuckle Muay Thai to finally prove who among the Thai legends is better than the other.

Buakaw, 40, is widely regarded as one of the best fighters that the country has produced after racking up an impressive record of 240 wins, 24 losses and 12 draws.

His accomplishments include being a two-time Omnoi Stadium champion (2001 featherweight champion, 2002 lightweight champion), two-time K-1 World MAX champion (2004, 2006) a Lumpinee Stadium Toyota Marathon winner and a Kunlun Fight Muay Thai middleweight titleholder.

As a kickboxer, Buakaw has fought against the biggest names in the sport, including John Wayne Parr, Takayuki Kohiruimaki and Masato Kobayashi en route to winning the 2004 K-1 MAX title.

His BKFC opponent, Saenchai, needs no introduction either.

Two years the elder of Buakaw, Saenchai is recognized among most Muay Thai fans as one of the best fighters of all time after capturing the prestigious Lumpinee Stadium title in four different weight classes: super flyweight (1997), bantamweight (twice, 1999), super featherweight (2005 and 2006) and lightweight (2010).

For those not in the know, Muay Thai fighters around the globe dream of winning the Lumpinee Stadium title because of its status as the mecca of the sport.

Past titleholders include Coban Lookchaomaesaitong, Anuwat Kaewsamrit, ONE Championship's Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong, Yodsanklai Fairtex, and the last foreigner to win the Lumpinee title in Jimmy Vienot.

The prestige of the Lumpinee Stadium even drew the support of ONE Championship after announcing last month that they will be holding a new program entitled ONE Lumpinee to help grow Thailand's combat sports scene.

Saenchai has also fought his fair share of Muay Thai and kickboxing stars such as Chadd Collins, Ognjen Topic, Sean Clancy, current ONE Muay Thai bantamweight king Nong-O Gaiyanghadao and ONE featherweight kickboxing champion Superbon Singha Mawynn.

Both Saenchai and Buakaw have a laundry list of accolades thus far in their careers, but having a fight to finally determine who among them should be considered the greatest is going to be a massive treat with them fighting under bare-knuckle rules.