Why Phoe Thaw Will Be More Dangerous Than Ever In Shanghai
At ONE: LEGENDARY QUEST, Phoe “Bushido” Thaw will face a challenge he has never had to overcome before.
Each of the Myanmar hero’s eight mixed martial arts bouts to date has been at home in Yangon, but this time, he will compete more than 3000 kilometers away in Shanghai, China.
The 34-year-old has never shied away from a challenge, and he is not fazed by moving out of his comfort zone for his bout with Victorio “Indra” Senduk.
“It is my first match on foreign soil, so it will be a new experience, and I may need a bit of acclimatization, but I don’t know what difference it will make, otherwise,” he says.
When Phoe Thaw competes in his hometown, he is always roared on by thousands of his screaming compatriots. That has inspired him to seven wins, including six via knockout.
Though he will not enjoy the same support at the Baoshan Arena, the striking specialist hopes he can win new fans with his aggressive striking attack and have much of the crowd on his side by the end of the night.
“Even though there will be no Myanmar fans in the stadium, I hope that there are fans who like my fighting style,” he adds.
“Furthermore, I still have support from my online fans, so there won’t be a big difference for me.”
Like “Bushido,” Senduk prefers to stand and trade in the Circle. The two-time SEA Games wushu medalist has made no secret about his game plan for 15 June, and that suits the ONE Myanmar Featherweight Tournament Champion just fine.
The Team PT representative has a background in lethwei, aikido, and Kyokushin karate, and he is well known for his aggressive style from the first bell, which usually delivers entertainment.
“I just want to put on the best possible performance for the fans and make it an absolutely thrilling match,” Phoe Thaw says.
“Every bout is important, and I will fight my best in this bout as if it is my last.”
However, it would be naive of Senduk to arrive in Shanghai expecting his rival to ignore the ground game completely.
Phoe Thaw has spent several weeks of this training camp in Boston, USA at Citadel Martial Arts Gym and Florian Martial Arts Center, where he has sharpened every area of his skill set.
Though “Bushido” enjoys his reputation as a knockout artist, he is determined to be known as a well-rounded athlete. He will also take all of the grappling lessons he learns back home to help the next generation of Myanmar athletes kick on and reach a higher level.
More importantly, for now, he wants to use his new tools to deliver a memorable victory.
“I have trained in neighboring countries before, but I decided to travel to America since it is my first foreign match,” he explains.
“My understanding of mixed martial arts concepts is improved in many areas – [the coaches helped to improve] my movement, offensive and defensive tactics, and timing.
“I’ve had great training and awesome sparring with big, tough guys. I’m looking forward to showing better skills in [the ring].
