Changpuek Kiatsongrit

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Changpuek Kiatsongrit
Born Somchai Ropkwaen[1]
(1966-10-13) October 13, 1966 (age 57)
Other names White Elephant
Nationality Thai
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight 70 kg (154 lb; 11 st 0 lb)
Division Middleweight
Light Heavyweight
Cruiserweight
Heavyweight
Style Muay Thai
Stance Southpaw
Kickboxing record
Total 343
Wins 277
By knockout 178
Losses 61
Draws 5
Other information
Occupation Muay Thai trainer
last updated on: June 6, 2011

Changpuek [English: White Elephant] Kiatsongrit (Thai: ช้างเผือก เกียรติทรงฤทธิ์; born October 13, 1966) is a Thai former Muay Thai fighter.[2] He is credited as being one of the first Muay Thai fighters to go abroad and fight other fighters of other martial arts styles, often stronger and heavier than himself, bringing to the world an understanding of the effectiveness of Muay Thai. Changpuek is a seven time world champion who has fought some of the world's best fighters at middleweight to heavyweight and has wins against world class fighters such as Rob Kaman (x3), Rick Roufus, Peter Smit and Tosca Petridis. After ending his career as a professional fighter while working for Sitpholek gym in Pattaya, Thailand, he continued his employment at that gym as a Muay Thai trainer.[3]

Biography and career

Changpuek was born and raised in a small village some 30 km from the town of Prakhonchai, Buriram in northeastern Thailand, one of seven children. A young Changpuek became attracted to Muay Thai from watching local fighters and started training at home alongside his brothers under the tutelage of their father. He had his first fight at 14 and by 18 had left home to join the Kiatsongrit Gym in Bangkok, where he would remain for more than sixteen years. Changpuek fought at the lower weights in his early years spent on the Bangkok circuit, weighing as little as 49 kg (108 lbs) on his Rajadamnern Stadium debut.[4]

After fighting for a number of years in Thailand, Changpuek found it increasingly difficult to get fights domestically as his weight (70 kg) was not typical for a Thai where competitive bouts at tend to be at the lower weights. As a result, he started to fight abroad facing the K.I.C.K. world champion Rick Roufus in a non-title fight in Las Vegas in 1988. Changpuek's leg kicks proved too much for Roufus, despite being knocked down in the first and suffering a broken jaw, won via knockout in the fifth round. The knockout was due to a culmination of low kicks that the American fighter was unprepared for.[5] In 1989 Changpuek faced another top class fighter in Rob Kaman. Changpuek won the first match of four between the two by decision in Paris setting the way for a rematch in Amsterdam the following year this time with the added bonus of the I.M.T.F. light heavyweight world title. Kaman gained his revenge in Amsterdam knocking out Changpuek in the last round of their match. The third match between the pair followed two months later with Changpuek taking a decision victory and the belt which Kaman had only just won.

After his trilogy of fights with Kaman, Changpuek would continue to fight some of the top light heavyweight fighters in the world between 1990 and 1992, losing one and winning one against Peter Smit, defeating Luc Verheye by knockout and decisioning Orlando Wiet. In this period he would lose and regain his I.M.T.F. world title and claim the first ever W.M.K. world belt. In 1993 Changpuek was invited to compete against some of the world's top heavyweight kickboxers at the inaugural K-1 world grand prix, losing to eventual winner Branko Cikatić by knockout at the quarter final stage. He was invited back by the organization to take part in a world title fight - defeating Taiei Kin over five rounds to claim the vacant U.K.F. belt.

1993 would continue to be a busy year for Changpuek, he fought on cards throughout the year in Japan picking up several victories as well as losing to legendary karateka Andy Hug at the karate world cup. At the end of the year he fought in the K-2 Grand Prix '93 a tournament held by K-1 for light heavyweight fighters. As the smallest fighter at the event weighing only 75 kg, Changpuek faced Rob Kaman in the fourth (and final) match of their quartet of fights, winning a grueling match by decision. A victory in the semi finals against Tasis Petridis meant a final match against future four-time K-1 world champion Ernesto Hoost. Changpuek managed to push the much larger Hoost into an extra round only to lose eventually via a head kick knockout.

Although Changpuek would never again quite hit the peak of his success of the early nineties, he fought a number more times with the K-1 organization, the highlight being a victory against Nobuaki Kakuda to claim the W.M.T.C. cruiserweight world title and wins against the likes of Kakuda were tempered by defeats against Michael Thompson, Ivan Hippolyte and Manson Gibson. Changpuek fought a number of fights in Europe around the turn of the millennium winning the W.K.U. world title in 2001 but found victories harder to come by as the toll of career of 300+ fights set in and he retired around 2006 at the age of 40. He currently resides in Pattaya, Thailand where he is the father of two children and is a Muay Thai coach.[3] His nephew, Kongsak Sithboonmee, was named Thailand's top Muay Thai boxer in April 2011.[6]

Titles

Muay Thai

  • World Muay Thai Council
    • 1996 W.M.T.C. Cruiserweight World Champion -86 kg
  • International Muay Thai Federation
    • 1992 I.M.T.F. Light Heavyweight World Champion -79 kg (1st title defence)
    • 1990 I.M.T.F Light Heavyweight World Champion -79 kg (retained title after losing it the same year)
    • 1990 I.M.T.F Light Heavyweight World Champion -79 kg
  • World Muaythai Kickboxing
    • 1991 W.M.K. Heavyweight World Champion

Kickboxing

  • Kickboxing Superstar
    • 2003 Kickboxing Superstar WGP Qualifications Tournament Runner Up
  • World Kickboxing Union
    • 2001 W.K.U. Cruiserweight World Champion
  • Universal Kickboxing Federation
    • 1993-94 U.K.F. Light Heavyweight World Champion -79 kg (0 title defences)

Record

Kickboxing record
277 Wins (178 (T)KO's, 99 decisions), 61 Losses, 5 Draws
Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time
2010 Loss Slovakia Martin Sithpolek Fairtex Stadium Pattaya, Thailand TKO 2
2006-12-27 Loss France Johan Gouaida Sitpholek Muaythai Promotion[7] Pattaya, Thailand KO (Punches) 1
2006-11-25 Loss Netherlands Martin van Emmen] Only the Strongest[8] Ter Apel, Netherlands KO 1
2003-05-17 Win France Frédérique Bellonie Kickboxing Superstar WGP Qualifications, Final Milano, Italy Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00
Fails to Qualifie for Kickboxing Superstar tournament.
2003-05-17 Win Greece Babis Papadoupolous Kickboxing Superstar WGP Qualifications, Semi finals Milano, Italy Decision (Split) 3 3:00
2002-11-24 Loss Croatia Igor Ivosevic Fiume, Croatia DQ (Kneeing Opponent) 2
2001-12-14 Loss United States Manson Gibson W.C.K. @ Palms Casino Resort[9][10] Las Vegas, NV, USA KO (Spinning Heel Kick) 2 0:48
Fight was for Gibson's I.K.K.C. Muaythai light heavyweight world title.
2001-11-03 Win Netherlands Martin van Emmen Gala in Steenwijk[11] Steenwijk, Netherlands KO (Right Hook) 2
Wins the vacant W.K.U. Cruiserweight World title.
2001-03-03 Loss Suriname Ashwin Balrak WPKL Muay Thai Champions League IV[12] Rotterdam, Netherlands KO (Right knee to the body) 3
1999-07-11 Loss Japan Ryuji Murakami The Kakidamishi 1 Okinawa, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00
1998-10-25 Win Japan Ryuji Murakami MA Kick "Kickboxing Champion Wars All Star Matches" Tokyo, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00
1998-04-26 Loss United States Manson Gibson Shoot boxing "Shoot the Shooto XX" Tokyo, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00
1997-07-13 Draw Morocco Hassan Ettaki Night of the Titans[13] Rabat, Morocco Decision Draw 5 3:00
1997-04-29 Win Japan Nobuaki Kakuda K-1 Braves '97 Fukuoka, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00
Wins W.M.T.C. Cruiserweight World Title.
1997 Loss France Stéphane Nikiéma Muaythai Gala in Paris[14] Paris, France KO (Punches) 3
1996-03-01 Win Japan Hiromitsu Kanehara UWF International Tokyo, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00
1995-10-08 Loss Turkey Gurkan Ozcan The Test of Courage Australia KO (Punches) 1 1:58
1995-07-16 Loss Netherlands Ivan Hippolyte K-3 Grand Prix '95 Quarter-final Nagoya, Japan KO 2 0:20
1995-03-25 Win Japan Takashi Sugiyama K-1 K-League Opening Fight Tokyo, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00
1994-09-18 Loss England Michael Thompson K-1 Revenge Yokohama, Japan KO (Left Spinning Kick) 3 0:02
1994-03-04 Loss Japan Taiei Kin K-1 Challenge Tokyo, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00
Loses his U.K.F. World Lightheavyweight championship title.
1993-12-19 Loss Netherlands Ernesto Hoost K-2 Grand Prix '93 Final Tokyo, Japan TKO (Right High Kick) 4 0:40
Fight was for K-2 Grand Prix '93 World Championship title -79 kg.
1993-12-19 Win Greece Tosca Petridis K-2 Grand Prix '93 Semi-final Tokyo, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00
1993-12-19 Win Netherlands Rob Kaman K-2 Grand Prix '93 Quarter-final Tokyo, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00
1993-12-05 Win France Stéphane Nikiéma Thailand Thailand KO (Left Low Kick) 4
1993-10-03 Loss Switzerland Andy Hug K-1 Illusion 1993 Karate World Cup Quarter Final Osaka, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 1 3:00
1993-10-03 Win Japan Shin Ushikoshi K-1 Illusion 1993 Karate World Cup 1st Round Osaka, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 1 3:00
1993-09-04 Win Japan Toshiyuki Atokawa K-1 Illusion Tokyo, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00
1993-06-25 Win Japan Taiei Kin K-1 Sanctuary III Osaka, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00
Wins the vacant U.K.F. World Light heavyweight championship title -79 kg.
1993-04-30 Loss Croatia Branko Cikatic K-1 Grand Prix '93 Quarter Final Tokyo, Japan KO (Right Straight) 1 2:35
1992 Loss Canada Wade Woodbury Test of Courage Australia KO (Punches) 1 2:37
1992 Win Suriname Orlando Wiet Olham, England, UK Decision (Split) 5 3:00
Retains I.M.T.F. Light Heavyweight World title.
1992 Win France Stéphane Nikiéma Bangkok, Thailand KO (Left Low Kick) 4
1991-05-24 Win Netherlands Marlon Benjamin Yamaki Gym the 6th anniversary memorial event Tokyo, Japan KO (Left Straight) 2 2:18
Wins the vacant 1st W.M.K. World Heavyweight Championship title.
1990-12-15 Win Netherlands Luc Verheye Tokyo, Japan TKO (Knee strike) 3
1990-11-27 Win Netherlands Peter Smit Lumpinee Stadium[15] Bangkok, Thailand Decision 5 3:00
Wins Smit's I.M.T.F. light heavyweight world title -79 kg.
1990-09-28 Win Netherlands Glenn Brasdorp A.J.K.F Inspiring Wars "Heat-928" Tokyo, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00
1990-08-31 Loss Netherlands Peter Smit Lumpinee Stadium[16] Bangkok, Thailand KO (Punches) 2
Loses I.M.T.F. light heavyweight world title -79 kg.
1990-06-30 Win United States Dale Cook AJKF "Inspiring Wars Heat 630" Tokyo, Japan KO (Right Hook) 2 1:28
1990-05-18 Win Japan Hideo Suzuki MA Nihon Kick Tokyo, Japan KO (Low Kicks) 2
1990-04-24 Win Netherlands Rob Kaman Holland Goes to Thailand, Lumpinee Stadium[17] Bangkok, Thailand Decision 5 3:00
Wins Kaman's I.M.T.F. light heavyweight world title -79 kg.
1990-02-18 Loss Netherlands Rob Kaman Holland vs Thailand 1990 Amsterdam, Netherlands KO 5
Fight was for vacant I.M.T.F. Light Heavyweight World title -79 kg.
1989-12-31 Win Netherlands Rob Kaman Paris, France Decision 5 3:00
1988-11-05 Win United States Rick Roufus Sands Hotel & Casino[18] Las Vegas, Nevada, United States KO (Left Low Kicks) 5 1:23
1988- Win Thailand Mongkoldej Kiatprasarnchai Thailand Decision 5 3:00
1988- Win Thailand Payap Premchai Lumpinee Stadium Bangkok, Thailand KO (Low kicks) 1
1987-10-30 Loss Thailand Krongsak Na Teerawong Bangkok, Thailand KO 3
1987-04-24 Win Thailand Payap Premchai Rangsit Stadium Pathum Thani, Thailand DQ (threw a kick) 4
Handicap match. Payap was not allowed to kick.
1987-03-20 Win Thailand Raktae Muangsurin Rangsit Stadium Pathum Thani, Thailand Decision 5 3:00
Wins the vacant Lumpinee Stadium 140 lbs title.
1987-03-06 Win Thailand Krongsak Na Teerawong Ubon Ratchathani province, Thailand Decision 5 3:00
 ? Win Thailand Samart Prasarnmit Thailand Decision 5 3:00
1986-10-31 Win Thailand Punthai Pinsinchai Rangsit Stadium Pathum Thani, Thailand Decision 5 3:00
1986-08-08 Loss Thailand Raktae Muangsurin Rangsit Stadium Pathum Thani, Thailand KO (Right cross) 3
1982-12-08 Loss Thailand Rungsiri Na Pattaya Rajadamnern Stadium Bangkok, Thailand Decision 5 3:00
Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest       Notes

Mixed rules

Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Draw 0–0–1 Yoji Anjo Draw UWF U-Cosmos November 29, 1989 5 3:00 Tokyo, Japan

References

  1. NSAC report of WCK Kickboxing
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External links