Calgary, Alberta, Canada, was ground zero for 7 bouts of Muaythai action under the name “Conflict in the Casino” and the venue, the Deerfoot Inn and Casino, was sold out weeks before the night began.
The event was organised by the Calgary Muaythai Association (CAKMA) and Mike Miles Promotions and was sanctioned by the WMC and IFMA.
The opening fight saw Peter Arbeau of Calgary taking on Brett Hlavacek (US) – a good fight with good technique, Hlavacek winning by unanimous points decision.
Next up was Misty Sutherland (Calgary) vs Lisa Buckley (England). Buckley came out strong and both girls went to work early, until suddenly Sutherland caught Buckley with a beautiful knee and the referee had to stop the fight.
The audience was then treated to another exciting female Muaythai battle, as Sandra Bastian (Calgary) the IFMA World Champion and best female athlete of the IFMA World Championships in 2006 took on Charlotte Von Baumgarten (Germany). Bastian again showed her class by stopping Von Baumgartenb.
Fight number four saw “Nasty” Nate Smandych (Calgary) defeating Ricard Shey Lopez (Mexico) with a stunning kick technique, while in fight five, Jesse “Smiles” Miles (Calgary) took on David “The Jewish Bulldog” Goldberg of Germany in what was by all accounts an action packed battle of technique. A good knee to the face dropped Goldberg in the first round, but he fought on, and the two boys warred over five rounds, the unanimous decision going to Miles in the end.
The Semi-Main Event was Scott “Pitbull” Clark (Calgary) vs Tarik “The Cat” Kucuzu (Germany), and Kuzucu began strongly, rushing Clark with an offensive in the first. Clark responded with an elbow which cut Kuzucu, but didn’t stop him. Clark gradually stepped into offensive mode as the bout progressed, dominating the clinch, but in the third round, Kuzucu caught Clark with a high kick that resulted in a cut, but it was clear that Clark was undeterred, and with the boys in the clinch, Clark began to dominate again, and took home a 3rd round TKO.
The Main Event of the night was a Professional Muaythai bout, and saw Trevor “TNT” Smandych of Calgary taking on Thai Quoc Le Nguyen (Australia). This was certainly a fantastic fight, both boys displaying great Muaythai skills but TNT showing the audience why he was ranked in WMC Top 10 by stopping Thai with leg kicks.
Overall it was a great night of entertainment, showcasing the local talent against international fighters, and a great promotion for Muaythai in general. Congratulations to all involved.
