There’s nothing quite like going to a live fight night, and the Bolton Thai Boxing Club’s annual inter-club is one of the best we’ve been to.

On Sunday, November 5, we were invited to join the event’s organiser, club’s owner, and all-round legend of UK Muay Thai, Sandy Holt, to witness the event from the front row. After a long drive from London, we arrived at The Roundhouse in Bolton and were immediately met with some of the most impressive and tenacious junior Muay Thai we had ever seen.

All three of us directors of Optimal Combat have a long history in combat sports and have competed many times, across multiple disciplines, but the awe of watching a live event, especially at a high level, never ceases to amaze.

Sandy showed his experience and expertise in hosting Muay Thai events, keeping the audience engaged through nearly 70 amateur Muay Thai bouts during the show’s preliminary interclub event. As any parent who’s had to watch their kid play football will tell you, kids’ sports are rarely entertaining to watch, but the kids of Northern England’s best Muay Thai clubs put on an electric show and left everything in the ring.

After the 70 or so fights, it was time for a quick intermission, then right back at it with the event’s main card. Moving from minimal, interclub rules, the event well and truly moved into amateur martial arts, with the body pads coming off and the power being dialed to 11. There were 8 fights in total on the event’s main card, and none of them disappointed.

The card began with a few junior fights, but these weren’t the kind that’d make you disappointed at your kid as you bought them McDonald’s on the drive home – let’s just say these kids are never getting bullied at school. As well as showcasing excellent technique and fight IQ, the junior fighters showed unrelenting resolve, making every fight an inspiring display of mental and physical strength.

Following on from the juniors, it was time for the adults to take to the ring and try to keep up with their young counterparts, and did they ever. The last four fights saw the adults leave everything in the ring, with three of the fighters hailing from Bolton’s own Bolton Thai Boxing Club. Despite a mixed bag of results for the home gym, the bouts were some of the best live amateur and semi-pro Muay Thai that Optimal Combat has had the pleasure of watching live.

The event also saw two international fighters fly over to partake in the main card. Ella Peare of Waterford Muay Thai came over from Ireland and won a grueling three-round slugfest. The main event saw Bolton’s Chris Hargreaves take on the Swiss MMA Fighter Daniel Vogel (Passion MMA). Sadly, Vogel’s experience shone through, and the fight was stopped in the first round after a brutal hook to the liver.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Sandy Holt for inviting us up to Bolton for the event, introducing us to the fighters, and treating us to a lovely meal after. Sandy is truly one of the pillars of the UK Muay Thai scene and an expert at hosting smooth Muay Thai events. You can see for yourself all the great work Sandy does at https://thaiboxing.co.uk/ as well as classes and any upcoming events. We look forward to continuing our work with Sandy and the other incredible gym owners and event organisers to grow the popularity and recognition of Muay Thai across the country.

Many thanks to Adam Crowther for the incredible photos from the night. You can find more at www.adamcrowtherphotography.co.uk.