Buakaw Banchamek

Apart from his competitive career, Banchamek has also been an ambassador for Muay Thai, actively promoting the sport and helping it gain recognition on the global stage.

[4] He has also embarked on an acting career, starring in the Thai action films Yamada: The Samurai of Ayothaya (2010) and Thong Dee Fun Khao (2017).

tournament at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, beating the highly regarded Satoshi Kobayashi of Japan in the finals.

[6] In 2005, he nearly repeated his run for tournament champion but lost the extra round in a controversial decision to Dutch shoot-boxer Andy Souwer in the finals.

[9] In 2010, Buakaw co-starred in the martial arts movie Yamada: The Samurai of Ayothaya based on the life of Yamada Nagamasa, a Japanese adventurer who gained considerable influence in Thailand at the beginning of the 17th century and became the governor of the Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand.

In the semi-finals of the 2011 Thai Fight 70 kg Tournament, he won by KO in the 3rd round via elbow against Mickael Piscitello.

On December 18, 2011, he fought Frank Giorgi for the 2011 Thai Fight 70 kg Tournament Title and won by unanimous decision.

[12] He led the Muay Thai Combat Fan Expo to showcase the sport in Rimini Italy with Saenchai, Sudsakorn Sor Klinmee, Dzhabar Askerov and many others.

[15][16] On March 12, he appeared on a Thai TV talk show to apologize to the fans and explain his disappearance, stating that he had recurring problems in Por.

[17] He had been scheduled to visit Japan with the Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra for an exhibition match but it was canceled in favor of another fight.

[30][31] On March 27, 2013, Buakaw faced his friend and teammate Harlee Avison in a staged exhibition match, which was free to the public, at the brand new Beeline Arena in Cambodia.

On May 6, 2013, Buakaw again went off script to KO Malik Watson in round two in an exhibition match at MAX Muay Thai 1 in Surin, Thailand.

[32] Buakaw made his return to legitimate fighting with a decision win over Dong Wen Fei in a three-round kickboxing match at MAX Muay Thai 3 in China on August 10, 2013.

[39][40][41][42] In their fourth meeting, Buakaw bested Yoshihiro Sato on points at MAX Muay Thai 4 in Sendai, Japan, on October 6, 2013.

[43][44][45][46][47] He beat Enriko Kehl by decision at MAX Muay Thai 5: The Final Chapter in Khon Kaen, Thailand on December 10, 2013.

[52][53] Buakaw beat Victor Nagbe via unanimous decision at Combat Banchamek in Surin, Thailand, on April 14, 2014.

[62] Buakaw lost the TopKing World Series Semifinal Tournament (TK4) against Russian fighter Khayal Dzhaniev in a controversial decision.

[64] Buakaw fought Chinese fighter Kong Lingfeng in the main event at Kunlun Fight 62 on June 10, 2017, in Bangkok, Thailand.

[66] The event didn't happen and Buakaw fought in China at Kunlun Fight 67 where he knocked out Dutch Marouan Toutouh in the second round with punches.

[67] Buakaw defeated French Azize Hlali by knockout in the first round in the headline bout at All Star Fight on August 20, 2017, in Bangkok, Thailand.

[71][72][73] Buakaw is expected to challenge Spanish Jonay Risco for 70 kg title on March 9, 2018, at Enfusion kickboxing promotion in Abu Dhabi.

[74] Buakaw fought Portuguese Luis Passos on 28 of April 2018 on All Star Fight 3 in Bangkok Thailand where he won via unanimous decision.

[81] After a nearly three-year-long hiatus, Buakaw made his return to competition against Dmitry Varats at World Fight Tournament in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on July 6, 2022.

[86] Buakaw was scheduled to face Yoshihiro Sato in a rematch of their K-1 World MAX 2008 quarter-final match, which he lost by knockout, on October 28, 2022.

[92] The bout ended in the second round after Buakaw accidentally headbutted Kido, opening a cut in his forehead, leading to a no contest.

On July 21, 2023, Pacquiao and Buakaw met in a press conference held in Bangkok, Thailand to promote their exhibition superfight in January 2024.

[104][105][106] After the exhibition bout with Pacquiao was postponed, Buakaw entered the K-1 World MAX 2024 tournament, initially expected to face Ouyang Feng in the first round.

[110] He made his debut headlining BKFC Thailand 3: Moment of Truth on September 3, 2022, where he defeated Erkan Varol by first-round knockout.

[112] In mid-February 2023, it was announced that due to legal implications regarding the use of the name muay thai in marketing material, the bout was indefinitely postponed and effectively canceled.

[121] He owns a resort-style development project called Buakaw Village in Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai province, Thailand.

Buakaw, December 2012
Buakaw Banchamek in 2016
Buakaw in 2020