Brutal Buakaw sends Kimura crashing to the canvas in Japan encounter
Muay Thai legend Buakaw Banchamek strategically outwitted his Japanese-Brazilian opponent Minoru Kimura and won their Rizin Landmark 9 fight with a spectacular knockout at the Kobe World Hall, Kobe, in Japan on Saturday.
The fight was not without its share of drama as Kimura accused Buakaw of dodging him and taunted him, claiming that Buakaw was afraid to face him again. This infused intensity into the highly anticipated fight between two accomplished masters of their sport.
Buakaw, 41, competed under kickboxing rules, and the two fighters exchanged punches as soon as the bell rang.
However, the seasoned Buakaw held his own in the first round. The decisive moment came at 4:10 into the fight when the Thai fighter landed a hard right straight blow that sent Kimura sprawling to the canvas and unable to continue.
The victory reinforced Buakaw’s dominance in Muay Thai and entrenched his status as a kickboxing icon.
