Friday May 11th: The Hall at St. Pauls in NYC (9th Avenue Between 58th and 59th Streets)
Doors open: 7:30pm, First bout: 8pm
Friday Night Fights Muay Thai: Pro / Am
On May 11th, two amateur female fighters will step into the ring to show the crowd what “hit like a girl” really translates into: a grim warning, not to be taken lightly. The evening’s fight card has Watt Sriboonruang (1-2) facing off against Francis Hernandez (2-2) for a featherweight bout set at 122 pounds.
Sriboonruang, who trains out of Coban’s Muay Thai NYC, has been amping up her strength training to achieve her most power to date. “I started lifting weights and training with kettlebells. My power is more explosive now. I’m stronger and more confident,” she explains. “I also learned a very good lesson from my second fight—that I need to run more. So I have been doing that.”
The four installment of North America’s longest running Muay Thai Series takes place at the Hall at St. Pauls. The event features professional fights and an exciting undercard with the top amateurs from the region and beyond! Tickets at this venue are always in high demand so early purchase is strongly recommended.
It’s not her first time training under Thai champion Coban Lookchaomaesaitong; she trained with him for several months in 2010 before he left New York City to instruct in Philadelphia.
“He is one of the best,” says Sriboonruang. “I am back with my old trainer and having a good time. He tells you the big picture. He’s a champion. Before I was more comfortable fighting from a distance, but Coban trained me so I can also kick and punch closer, as well as clinch.”
Her main focus for the upcoming fight? “Aggression,” says Sriboonruang, without hesitation. “My cardio is already there. And I feel I’m mentally so there. But now I’m being more aggressive. My first fight, my opponent was panting. Instead of jumping on her, I let her breathe. But every time you fight, you get better. So now I’m being more aggressive. That is key.”
Meanwhile, Hernandez, who goes by the fight nickname “Hit Girl,” is dropping to her lowest weight ever for the bout. “The lowest I’d gone before was 128, but I’m feeling a lot better and faster at 122,” she says. “Most of the weight I’ve lost was fat, so I haven’t lost any power. I have more muscle now than ever.”
Hernandez, who trains and instructs at MMA Anyone in Puerto Rico, has been training three times a day for the fight—one session for cardio, another for technique, and a last for sparring.
“I watched one of [Sriboonruang’s] videos on YouTube, and she’s got long hands and legs, so that’s my main concern,” she says. “I can work with her speed and her strength, but her advantage over me will be her reach.”
The biggest learning experience she’s taking into the upcoming match is the need to maintain mental composure. “My emotions got the better of me when I fought on Friday Night Fights last year. I got too excited and wanted to finish the fight quickly,” she says. “I stopped going with the plan and started trying to knock her out. I know that’s why I didn’t win.”
As for the upcoming bout, she predicts her strength will carry her to victory. “She has pretty good style, but I think I will shake her up pretty badly because of my weight. She looks pretty skinny, so the power I have from weighing more will help me a lot.”