Category Archives: News

With Easter just around the corner, many Melbournians are set to enter holiday mode and relax. The Absolute MMA team may have a slightly different idea of what holiday and relaxing means, with yet another packed weekend of competitions and fights having just passed us.

The weekend began with the highly anticipated Hex Fight Series 13 on Friday the 23rd of March kicking off at Melbourne Pavilion. With not just one Absolute MMA coach fighting on the card, but two, our team was out in full force and support! Coach Simon Carson was first up from our team, after a hard fight camp and inspiring weight cut. Simon dominated the fight, however was caught in a foot lock towards the end of round one and lost via submission. Some days you win, some days you learn and irrespective of the result, a great performance from Simon with many of our team feeling super inspired by his efforts. Well done boss man!

Coach Sean Le Gourrierec was next up on the card, making his debut in the Hex octagon for the first time. An explosive beginning and ending to the fight with Sean knocking out his opponent just THIRTEEN SECONDS into round one! We couldn’t be happier for you Sean, you absolute champion! Can’t wait to see you back in the octagon again soon.

Truly inspiring to have coaches on the team who continue to actively fight and it is great that you both lead by example. Thank you for all your teachings and congratulations on all your efforts!

Our next generation of athletes showed us just how much they’d improved with the Kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grading happening the next day Saturday at Absolute MMA St Kilda. Congratulations to all of you on your new stripes!

On Sunday, our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu team headed to the Super BJJ competition in Broadmeadows. With over 40 competitors from all three of the Absolute MMA gyms ranging from kids, adults having their first competition to seasoned competitors- results were excellent across the board! Thank you for everyone that stepped on the mats and put their BJJ to the test, and of course, congratulations to the coaches whose guidance has made our teams great result possible.

Photos: (William Luu Fight Photography, Livia Gluchowska & MMA Media)

Things are all starting to come together here at Absolute MMA Thailand in Rawai, Phuket. Our beautiful Thai-style open air facility is getting one hell of a facelift, and the Muay Thai classes are filling out nicely.

What was once an elevated boxing ring at the rear of the gym is now a flattened concreted area. The builders went to work with jackhammers and steel maces, demolishing the thick concrete and breeze-block ring walls. Ironically, at one point there was actually someone doing a strength and conditioning routine that involved sprints, tyre flips, and then hitting the tyre with a sledgehammer. If it wasn’t for the language barrier the builders probably would have requested the energy be put into smashing up the breeze-blocks at the other end of the gym for at least a round or two!

Somehow, an enormous concrete mixing truck was masterfully reversed down our skinny, banana-tree-lined road to the back of the gym and the concrete was poured. Top-of-the-line MA1 roll out grappling mats will cover this space with plenty of room for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling. We can’t wait for the mats to be laid and the grappling classes to be ‘rolled’ out in proper Absolute MMA style! We hope that you are all just as excited for the week-long Craig Jones seminar coming up on May the 20th as we are, and we couldn’t be prouder to bring this to you all on our brand new mat space.

As for the rest of the gym’s floor space, we’ll be making the most of it by converting what is currently another elevated boxing ring in the center of the complex into a 5 metre x 5 metre octagon. We have centered this octagon intentionally to be featured right in the middle of all the action. (Maybe one day we’ll see a Thailand ROGUE series emerge! A gym can dream…).To add even more room for cage grappling practice, there will be cage paneling installed down one whole side of the gym (with the added benefit of stopping grapplers being hurled out onto the driveway).

Our team is busy at work, calling in favors and connections and really coming together to make this one of the most impressive facilities in Thailand! Our Muay Thai coaches have been an amazing help and their local knowledge is priceless. Phuket, and Rawai in particular is such a tight-knit community that even one of the construction workers has a son who was trained by Coach Chenrit during his fighting career. It’s beautiful to see them reminiscing about old times and we’re proud to be part of a community with such strong history.

We’ve pulled down and re-purposed or recycled sections of the gym and donated what we could to friends, relatives and nearby businesses when possible. It’s great seeing everyone get in and get their hands dirty as a team. Just yesterday everyone – fight team included – took turns using an old Olympic barbell to remove what used to be a monkey cage bolted to the ground behind the gym. It’s great to see everyone’s enthusiasm and willingness to contribute to the transformation of the gym. We’re excited to write our own history along with the island, and form our own tight knit Martial Arts community, just like our team back in Australia.

Stay tuned for more updates and progress shots! Over the next few weeks there are going to be some massive changes happening around here.  

Our newest location, Absolute MMA Thailand in Phuket continues to progress! Classes are now growing steadily with a mix of students who have experience in different Martial Arts styles, those who are just starting out their Martial Arts journey as beginners, and those who have experience on a professional level. It is great to see such a varied amount of people from different backgrounds converging in this one location to become part of our newest community, and despite everyone coming from different countries and levels of experience, all share the same passion for Martial Arts.

As we are starting again from scratch, the class sizes have been small with an intimate, enthusiastic vibe. It has been wonderful hearing all the positive feedback about our trainers from the people who do train here. Our gym patrons have in particular enjoyed being able to get away from the classes at other gyms with 50+ students, where there is not enough trainers to hold pads or adequately assist with technique adjustments. Our trainers aim to play to a student’s strengths while working on their weaknesses, and ensure every student gets advice where needed.

What has been particularly rewarding at the Thailand location is seeing our beginner students come out with a smile on their face and feeling like they have improved their understanding of the fundamentals.  We definitely also aim to assist fighters getting ready for a bout and the trainers put them through their paces and pushed them hard where needed! It  is great to see that one of the key values of our gyms in Australia – making Martial Arts accessible for everyone – has been carried across to our Thailand location.

One advantage of the smaller class sizes we currently have is that students receive close, personalised attention. Emphasis is placed on keeping things technical and mastering the basics whilst still getting a good sweat on – which really isn’t hard in Thailand! For our intermediate students – in their first sparring experience with us, one of the coaches guides them through a few rounds and familiarises them with the technical, playful nature of Thai-style sparring.The more experienced fighters are paired with each other to get the high-level rounds in under the watchful eye of our seasoned trainers.

It has been impressive to watch how every one of our coaches in Thailand adapts to the needs and abilities of each individual student while holding pads for them. If someone is preparing for a fight, they get on the pads with ‘Beer’ (our coach’s nickname, not the beverage). As Beer  is an active fighter, he knows first hand how demanding fight preparation can be on the mind and body. Transitioning from another style? A pad session with Dam will put your power to use, all while he suggests adjustments to your current game to suit the style of Muay Thai. Only a beginner and just need to find your rhythm and feel things out? Then hitting pads with Chen and his careful instruction and occasional theatrics will build your confidence and have you leaving the mats with a smile on your face. 

Watching our trainers work together as a unit and apply their skills to every student to make sure everyone gets the most from their sessions gives us confidence in the future of the team here at Absolute MMA Thailand.

It hasn’t been all fresh faces here in Thailand though! We have been lucky enough to get visitors from our Australian locations come to stay onsite and enjoy Muay Thai training in Phuket with us. Shout out to Georgia Verry who stayed for a week and smashed out double sessions almost every day! Power couple Tim and Tina also stayed for a week and sweated up a storm with the team. It was great to see that everyone still managed to squeeze in trips to the nearby Nai Harn Beach and hikes to the Kata View Point in between smashing it out in their Muay Thai training sessions. All of you who visited recently brought such positive energy to the gym and we cannot wait for more of our Australian Absolute MMA family coming to train with us in our little slice of paradise! 

We are happy to report that the culture at our Thailand gym is friendly and welcoming. Students head to the beach together between sessions and share their favourite restaurants with newcomers. Patrons who stay on site are training regularly, and even cooking and eating with the trainers, amidst much laughter and story-swapping. With Rawai being a particularly beautiful part of an already stunning country, it is easy to slide right into the relaxed and family-vibe that’s being created here at Absolute MMA Thailand. Come and experience it for yourself!

The Absolute MMA team started March with a bang, with four fighters from the gym stepping into the ring at Roots 6: Natural Mystic/Rebellion Muay Thai 18: Return of The Weapon on Saturday, 3rd of March 2018.

Gracie Astill-Torchia kicked things off for the team on Roots 6, fighting against Lucy Duvnjak.
Having gone through an incredibly hard fightcamp that left her a little depleted, Gracie came forward, gaining strength as the rounds progressed and pushed hard to grind out a win via UPD against a talented opponent. Congratulations on continuing your winning streak Gracie!

James White was up next in the ring, fighting against a tough opponent with significant reach on him. Despite a loss via SPD James fought hard and we couldn’t be prouder of the determination he showed. Well done James!

Headlining Roots 6, Albert “Timorese Assassin” faced off against Sulamin Hashemi in the main event of the card. Alby fought a great battle, but didn’t get the result wanted in a close decision via SPD. Can’t wait to see Alby back in the ring stronger than ever for the experience gained!

With Roots over for the Day, Rebellion Muay Thai 18 began at 6pm, with Joe “Smokin Joe” Coverdale fighting second on the card against Angus McLennan. Joe displayed great technique and had a lot of fun in the ring against a strong opponent, unfortunately coming out with a loss via SPD.

On Sunday, four of our Absolute MMA Boxing team members went to St Albans to fight at the VAMAA Interclub.

Dushan Oshin Lankaputhra Wanniarachchige, Juen How Low (Jacky) and Daniel Morandin all won their bouts, with Aneira Connell’s bout resulting in a draw. All members of our boxing team showed improved technique, with Coach Pradeep Sihag “The Indian Warrior” noting “the highlight of the day was (the) straight right hand punch from each boxer”. Congratulations to all of you on your hard work!

Photo Credits: William Luu Fight Photography & Pradeep Sihag Singh

We have many amazing people with interesting stories that walk into all our gyms! The member spotlight turns to Kyle Morgan aka Kyle “KP” Morgz, long term member (since the yellow mat era) at Absolute MMA.

Occupation: UX Research & Design Manager

Martial Arts/Sports: Mixed Martial Arts

“When I think of Kyle, one quote comes to mind ‘I don’t call 9-1-1, I call on 4-1-1 – giddy up, bitches!’.” – Brenton McKiterick, 

Well done to our four champs who pushed themselves at VAMAA last week! You all showed off your technique and did us proud. We can’t wait to see you all learn and grow even more from this experience, and get back in there once again.

1. Jordan Smart win via majority
Jordan and his opponent stood in front of each other and traded bombs for the whole fight. A well deserved win for Jordan with Coach Liam McNeill saying he’d “Never seen so many right hands landed before in a fight.”

2. Jordan Nathaniel loss via points
Jordan fought a much taller opponent with significant reach and did very well to defend, managing to land multiple sweeps throughout all the rounds. A close match with great technique displayed by Jordan!

3. Chris Burrows win via points
Super fast hands from Chris in this fight! An extremely dominant performance from Chris from rounds 1 through to, and a well deserved win despite getting in trouble in the clinch a couple of times.

4. Ryan Gilder loss via points
Ryan gilder utilized his footwork and boxing in this fight against a tough opponent. Despite copping a fair few knees to the gut, it was clear that Ryan was having fun with a big smile on his face throughout the whole fight. Good on you for getting in there Ryan!

Thanks to everyone who came to support and help out on the night!

(Photo credit: Liam McNeill)

We are super proud to update you all on how our newest location Absolute MMA Thailand is progressing and share the beginning of our journey in Thailand!

Our mission over the last couple of weeks has been to take an old, pre-loved Muay Thai gym on the beautiful island that is Phuket, and turn it into a world class MMA facility featuring authentic Thai-style Muay Thai training. It has not been easy, but it has been an experience! The old adage applies- “Nothing worth having is ever easy.”

One of the most defining characteristics of Absolute MMA Thailand is the enormous lion’s head set on top of the building, which surprisingly is not visible from the main road at all. There really is no understating just how enormous this lion’s head is…trust us, we ain’t lion-ing! We’re incredibly lucky to have such a big, beautiful Thai-style open air facility with 4 raised rings and a row of bags hanging along both sides. Boasting 10 en-suite bungalows of on-site accommodation (car access available), Absolute MMA Thailand is the perfect place for your training camp!

We have a great location in Rawai that is based right on the doorstep of Phuket’s famous Nai Harn Beach and all the beautiful sunset lookouts that go with it are less than a 10 minute scooter ride away. If you feel like mixing it up, you can head 10 minutes in the other direction and visit the Siam, Katathani, Kata and Karon beaches on the west coast.

Located towards the southern end of Phuket, Rawai is not too crowded even in the high tourist season, and the perfect spot for avoiding hustle and bustle. The most popular restaurants might be busy for an hour or so each day, but there are plenty of gems off the beaten track. We are lucky enough to be surrounded by a wonderful community, who are never without a smile, and never forget a face (as well as your favourite food order!).

Rawai has everything you’d expect from an island getaway and is super easy to navigate. Before long, you’ll have your favourite Thai food places, and will know all the air conditioned coffee spots. Roadside fried chicken carts also consistently appear out of nowhere with impeccable timing and 7-Eleven and Family Marts sell long-necks for less than $2, if you’re after a casual beverage! For those who are looking to indulge, there are a handful of good bars, a night market that runs regularly and one nightclub that opens at 5pm called Laguna. Other nearby businesses include:

• Recovery spas with saunas and floatation tanks
• Massage parlours
• Hairdressing salons
• Hardware store

If you are looking to explore further up the island of Phuket there is the infamous Bangla Road, the majestic Big Buddha, the enormous Weekend Night Markets, and beautiful secluded tropical islands for you to explore.

Thankfully the hard work of selecting our core group of Thai trainers is complete, and we could not be happier with our team! Not only are our trainers extremely experienced and accomplished retired fighters, they are also well connected to the stadiums in Phuket with one of them being a part-time promoter, and another being a high level referee. This gives our fighters the best chance at appearing in fairly-scored, and well-matched fights in the biggest stadiums on the island.

Joe Boobyer of Absolute MMA deserves a very special mention here. Joe spent almost 6 years living and fighting in Phuket and well known in the local community. Without his in-depth knowledge of the culture and the trust that the locals have in him, assembling our team of friendly, connected and skilled trainers would not have been possible. He spent a week on his bike riding around to all of his old trainers and managers houses, asking who was working where, and who was in need of a job. We have been incredibly lucky to have such a diplomatic envoy with local knowledge who could ensure no feathers were ruffled. Not an easy thing to do when many of the locals have been fighting and working as trainers for various gyms in the area for over ten years. Many of his conversations were had over food, beer and even some after riding past a familiar face in the street, and conducted with good intentions and integrity. Thank you Joe!

There is still a lot to do at the gym and we have been busy getting the bungalows ready so people can come and stay on site and be able to prepare for fights (or the beach) in Thailand. Currently, we have construction workers here removing one of the rings to make room for a huge Brazilian jiu-jitsu/wrestling matted area, and soon there will be an octagon and a weights room added too. Work is in progress and the whole team is excited to be able to modernize Lion Muay Thai while paying respect to the past, under the new name of Absolute MMA Thailand. We have aimed to retain the spirit of Lion Muay Thai, with two out of three of our Thai trainers having worked here when Lion was first built. It has been known to be one of the most popular gyms on the island, and we want to make sure we carry on that legacy!

We look forward to providing you all with yet another world class facility in yet another beautiful location. We’ll be sure to keep you up to date with all the changes going on around here.

Stay tuned for another installation of the Absolute MMA Thailand story!