Two-time Muay Thai world champion Daniel McGowan was ready to call it quits last year despite only turning 25 a few days ago. The Englishman – one of the youngest foreigners ever to compete at the illustrious Rajadamnern and Lumpinee stadiums in Thailand – has in recent years been plagued by the dreaded injury-surgery cycle and, once finally fit, found himself amid a Covid-19-gutted competitive scene. McGowan (professional record 34-5-1) faced the age-old martial artists’ dilemma. Either double down on his decision to fly solo to Bangkok as a dreaming teen all those years ago, or walk away from all he knew. “When you’ve done it for so long and given your life to it, sometimes you hit that crossroads. It’s either fight for it or stop doing it,” said McGowan, whose run of bad luck took a turn after he became Evolve MMA’s first non-Thai Muay Thai coach last month. A huge compliment given the Singapore gym houses legends of “the art of eight limbs” such as reigning One Championship champions Sam-A and Nong-O Gaiyanghadao. “Covid-19 was another big thing as well. The gyms had shut in England and it seemed like one thing after the other. Like, ‘am I ever really going to get the break I feel like I deserve?’. I lost a bit of hope. I’d been competing for so long and given my everything to make it in the sport,” McGowan said, citing the death of talismanic trainer Liam Robinson in 2017 as a major emotional obstacle. But just as he was scraping the bottom of the barrel of hope, McGowan now finds himself brushing shoulders with Sam-A and Nong-O who, coincidentally, he goes way back with. “I used to stay with them in Thailand. They took me under their wing when I was at the same gym [Petchyindee Academy] in Thailand at 16. They looked after me quite a lot because they were a bit older,” said McGowan, who reunited with them at Evolve upon completing his mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sam-a Gaiyanghadao (@aaa_gaiyanghadao) “I hadn’t seen them in so long so it was good to meet up. Now they’re speaking English – they didn’t before. It’s amazing how far they’ve come. I’m staying with Sam-A for a few days. He’s been giving me advice, showing me how to teach the classes because Evolve has a really good structure so I needed to come to terms with their style. I feel really welcome already.” McGowan, who started competing in Muay Thai aged nine and went on to become the MTGP and ICO world bantamweight champion, was the perfect fit for Evolve’s virtual push. Young, English-speaking and a comprehensive, authentic knowledge of the sport. “It sounds cheesy but the universe brings good back to you when you work hard and do good things. I’d been working hard for years, and when you’re good, people can feel and recognise it. Obviously my achievements as a two-time world champion helps, too,” he said, adding that he would be responsible for some of the gym’s upcoming online university programme. In his personal blog, McGowan had described the new role as “like the universe answering me” having “shed a few tears” mulling retirement amid the pandemic and lack of opportunities. That a lad from Luton town is finally catching a break across the world is testament to the numerous sacrifices he made. “I’m absolutely buzzing to get the opportunity. I can finally focus on building a future for myself through this sport, enjoying my life doing something I love, and becoming the best fighter in the world,” he said. “It’s crazy. Sometimes I have to pinch myself. These opportunities don’t happen to people – not even where I’m from, but people in general. I’d like to reveal some sort of secret but it’s the hard work and grit that got me here. I was never scared to risk something to get what I wanted. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Daniel McGowan (@danmcgowanmt) “This is my first time in Singapore but I’ve chosen to move. For all I know, I could hate Singapore, but if I don’t try I won’t get anywhere. These are the things you have to do in Muay Thai if you’re serious. “Financially, I never got that break, but coming to somewhere like Singapore, I can build a future. Money is not everything, but that’s one of the things that got me a bit down in the sport; not earning what I could or should have been earning.” Now that McGowan is fully fit and focused on coaching the next batch of promising Singaporean Muay Thai fighters, the natural question is whether fans will see him in the ring again. Will he ever match – or surpass – his stadium-stunning victories over Rungnarai Kiatmuu9 at Yokkao in 2017 and Saengmorakot Sakphinyo at the Rajadamnern in 2018? “First off, I really want to smash this coaching role. I want to be in Singapore in a few years time and people know me as one of the best coaches at Evolve. I‘ve got a competitive nature – in a good way – and though I want others to do well, I want to be the best at whatever I do. I want them to say I was the best fighter and trainer,” he said. “As for fighting, Covid-19 has really put the Muay Thai world to a stop. One Championship is one of the only promotions doing fights, but because I’m not signed to them yet, I haven’t had the chance to fight this or last year. That would be my goal. I’d love to be a champion in One. If I could do that by the time I’m 30 that would be – I don’t ever put a cap on anything, but – the icing on the cake for me. I’ll have to dig deep sometimes, but I’m 1,000 per cent sure it will happen for me. Muay Thai is all I’ve ever done.”