Mixed martial arts fans are familiar with Master Thong. The Muay Thai coach and entertaining personality was a mainstay in the corner of UFC Hall of Famer and former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber. Master Thong was also an enthusiastic coach who helped take the Team Alpha Male MMA Gym in Sacramento, California to a new level.
In the past, we have only known about Master Thong’s eccentric antics and personality.
“The guy, he’s just crazy with animals,” Team Alpha Male fighter Chad Mendes said in a past interview on the Heavy MMA Podcast. “He has a rabbit breeding thing going on in the back yard of one of (Urijah) Faber’s houses. I don’t even know where he got the rabbits, but, this last Spring and Summer, there was at one time, I think, 20 rabbits back there. They kept having babies, kept having babies. They’d eventually get out and run away, but he just loves animals.
“He caught the opossum. He makes homemade fishing stuff. There (are) creeks by the house, and he’ll (take) sticks and string and try to catch fish. The guys just nuts. But I love the guy. He’s a great trainer, but it’s definitely comical having him on the team.”
Now, we get to learn more about him than ever before thanks to a brand new documentary that was shared on YouTube.
“Master Thong started Muay Thai during the golden era of the sport in Thailand. Competition was stiff, and he did have some early success in the big stadiums. Subsequently due to circumstances both within and outside of his control, Master Thong decided to drop out of the stadium circuit, choosing to practice his art as a wandering fighter and trainer,” the video description reads.
“While he did not climb up the stadium rankings himself, Master Thong has trained many world class champions, including WBA and IBF titleholders, and several Thai legends including Buakaw and Namsaknoi.”
Master Thong currently has his own gym in Bangkok, Thailand.
You can watch the full documentary below.