The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN Muay Thai fighter DC Pratt is making the most of his elite level training in the Muay Thai capital of the world.

Pratt won his second fight of his three-month stint in Thailand, on the undercard of a Lamnammoon Sor Sumalee promotion at the Thai and Malaysian border last weekend.

In a fight broadcasted live on Thai national television, Pratt won via second round knockout.

In his second professional bout in Asia, Pratt was forced to make another adjustment to his fighting style.

“This particular style of Muay Thai is called ‘Kard Cheuk’ which is traditional Muay Thai before they started using points and boxing gloves, so we wore rope wraps instead and the only way to win was by knockout,” he said.

“The guy I fought was an experienced boxer and made it a tough fight by throwing a lot of heavy punches, but my plan was to wear him down and then knock him out.”

With the win, Pratt improved his professional record to 7-1-1.

“The first round was the hardest because he was aggressive, but I made sure to keep my composure and used my boxing training to survive. Eventually, I ended up knocking him out in round two with a right cross.”

That training has come under renowned Muay Thai fighter and coach Lamnamoon Sor Sumalee.

Pratt said the training has been an integral part of his adjustment to professional fighting and has paid immediate dividends.

“The training here in Thailand has had a major difference. I was able to tell in the ring. I’m in better shape, there’s more focus on my technique and I have been able to pick up on many tricks and techniques that you normally would not see foreign fighters using. All my training partners are active pro fighters so I get a new opportunity to become sharper everyday. I am training twice a day, three hours per session for six days a week. There are no distractions here on the countryside.”

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, for two years before he moved back to the Bahamas, Pratt fought to a 3-1-1 amateur record since he made his Muay Thai debut in 2012.

He opened the Bangkok Fight Night Atlanta Grand Prix event with a split decision over Clint Blizzard in the 160-pound weight class in that debut.

Most recently, he won the IKF East Coast Championship in October 2013.

Disillusioned with frequent fight cancellations along with the struggle to find adequate bouts and training, he chose to relocate to the mecca of Muay Thai fighting.

“There were a lot of reasons I decided to go to Thailand, one of the main ones were that fights were falling through in the United States. I started to get frustrated and I didn’t want to be in the US just training, I wanted to be actively competing,” he said.