https://www.scmp.com/rss/524002/feed Bampara Kouyate is a highly accomplished Muay Thai fighter of French and Malian heritage, currently training at Venum Training Camp in Pattaya, Thailand, alongside Younes Rabah, under coach Mehdi Zatout. He is also a sought-after model en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Stella “Always Hungry” Hemetsberger pulled off a remarkable victory at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium, defeating American-Filipino star Jackie Buntan to capture the vacant ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai world title at ONE Fight Night 35 on Saturday. The Austrian dynamo entered the Bangkok main event as an underdog against the division’s reigning kickboxing queen. But when the five-round battle was done, the scorecards told the story of an upset with lasting significance: Hemetsberger became the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3324608/one-championship-buntan-stunned-strawweight-muay-thai-title-bout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3324608/one-championship-buntan-stunned-strawweight-muay-thai-title-bout?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Sep 2025 10:47:20 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw There are some athletes who appear to have been blessed with a deep cache of natural gifts – and Bampara Kouyate is one of them. The 30-year-old Frenchman is not only a professional runway model and thoughtful communicator, but also one of the most technically gifted Nak Muays on the planet. Known as “Bambi,” Kouyate trains out of BMTC Gym in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France, and spends long stretches at Thailand’s Venum Training Camp in Pattaya. The blend of cultures and gyms has helped him refine a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3322483/one-championship-meet-fighter-who-alternates-between-cat-walking-and-ring-walking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3322483/one-championship-meet-fighter-who-alternates-between-cat-walking-and-ring-walking?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 06:57:45 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw It has been a golden spell for Mehdi Zatout and his fighters at Venom Training Camp. From Bangkok to Tokyo, the gym has produced world champions, viral knockouts, and a growing sense that something special is happening. “We work different,” Zatout told the Post. “We train hard, but we also train smart. “We’re a team. We help each other, we push each other, but always with respect.” Zatout, a former world champion, now leads one of Asia’s top camps. His stable includes Bampara “Bambi” Kouyate,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3318103/meet-one-championship-trainer-coaching-some-hottest-talent-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3318103/meet-one-championship-trainer-coaching-some-hottest-talent-game?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2025 05:23:32 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Algerian Muay Thai stand-out Younes Rabah knows that victory over Shadow Singha Mawynn in the co-main event at ONE Fight Night 33 on July 12 in Bangkok will all but guarantee him a place in the featherweight Muay Thai top five – where the Thai star currently sits after a surging five-fight winning streak. “I just feel excited for this new challenge for me,” Rabah told the Post. “I feel like I’m taking one more step towards achieving my goal.” Shadow, who is ranked third after his winning run,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3315930/one-championship-younes-rabah-hopes-seal-top-5-spot-against-shadow-singha-mawynn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3315930/one-championship-younes-rabah-hopes-seal-top-5-spot-against-shadow-singha-mawynn?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 08:43:42 +0000