Namkabuan Nongkee Pahuyuth

Kampiew Sijanteuk (; 2 February 1973 – 7 April 2021), known professionally as Namkabuan Nongkeepahuyuth , was a Thai professional Muay Thai fighter. He was the Lumpinee Stadium Super Featherweight Champion for six years until he was forced to vacate after running out of challengers. Nicknamed "The Ring Genius", he was especially known for using a wide-variety of techniques, notably from Muay Boran, and is considered amongst the greatest fighters in the history of Muay Thai.

He was also the younger brother of Namphon Nongkeepahuyuth, another famous Thai fighter.

Biography and career

Early life and beginning of Muay Thai career

Kampiew Sijantuek (nicknamed Piew) was born in the Thung Kratat Phatthana subdistrict of Nong Ki district in Buriram province on 4 February 1973. He was the youngest of his 7 siblings which included famous Muay Khao fighter (knee fighter) Namphon Nongkeepahuyuth. At first, Sijantuek would watch Namphon train at the Nongkeepahuyuth gym which was famed for producing fighters that excelled in knee striking as well as using select Muay boran techniques in real fights. He was disinterested in training Muay Thai himself after seeing Namphon's demanding Muay Khao training regimen. Namphon later pressured him to participate in a Muay Thai fight despite the fact that he did not have formal training, resulting in a draw and an 80 baht purse directly from the audience. Sijantuek was noted to not give up during fights, prompting Pramot Hoymook, the owner of the Nongkeepahuyuth camp, to give him more matchups. to train under Hoymook and Poot Akkarat as he was pressured to take on more opponents. Namphon would become a popular fighter in the Isaan region and eventually ran out of opponents, prompting him to begin fighting in Bangkok. Sijantuek was still fighting in his local area until he ran out of opponents as well. He started fighting in different regions in Thailand

Rise to fame in Bangkok

At 13-years-old he would start fighting in Bangkok himself but lost the first 3 fights as he was not skilled enough. Under the advice of the Onesongchai promotion, Pramot Hoymook had Namkabuan temporarily train in the Muangsurin gym for 1 week to further hone his skills for Lumpinee Stadium matchups. Namkabuan would quickly improve enough to be able to handle varying opponents and became a well-rounded fighter. In around 1988, his second year of fighting in Bangkok, Namkabuan's fight purse reached Pramot Hoymook claimed that Wangchannoi told Namkabuan to "take it easy" the day before the fight and that Namkabuan would beat him.

Namkabuan was primarily a Muay Femur and Muay Khao stylist (rope-a-dope fighter and clinch specialist). He, like other fighters from the Nongkeepahuyuth gym, also took advantage of a select number of old Muay boran techniques and properly used them in stadium Muay Thai. Oley Kiatoneway and the heavier Sakmongkol Sithchuchok were 2 of the most significant rivals in his career, with Namkabuan having a record of 6 total wins and 6 total losses against both fighters.

Namkabuan was both praised and criticized for using many clinches to defeat Dokmaipa, Detduang, and Toto from the Por.Pongsawang gym. Namkabuan would be awarded the title and defended it 5 times throughout 6 years. After defending it against "The Batman" Samkor Kiatmontep in December 1996, the Lumpinee Stadium officials could not find a challenger for Namkabuan in the following 6 months and forced him to give up the title. The highest fight purse Namkabuan received was ฿250,000. Namkabuan would win the Yodmuaythai (Best of Muay Thai) trophy twice against Sangtiennoi and Sakmongkol despite weighing less than them. In 1996, Namkabuan opened a mu kratha restaurant in Khorat, something that Namphon also did. He found that he could earn more money by running the restaurant than fighting, thus he shifted his focus on being a restaurateur.

Namkabuan married Khop Hoymook, the daughter of his former boss and head trainer Pramot Hoymook. The two were already together before Namkabuan retired from Muay Thai. It was believed that his cancer was caused by inhaling smoke in the kitchens of his restaurants for approximately 25 years. It was also believed that Namkabuan smoked tobacco, but Pramot Hoymook denied the possibility that he ever used the substance.

Titles and honors

Lumpinee Stadium 1991 Lumpinee Stadium Super Featherweight (130 lbs) Champion Six successful title defenses 1992 Lumpinee Stadium Fighter of the Year

World Muay Thai Council 1992 WMC Super Featherweight (130 lbs) Champion Two successful title defenses

Awards 1991 Yodmuaythai trophy (vs Sangtiennoi Sitsurapong) 1992 Sports Writers Association of Thailand Fight of the Year (vs Robert Kaennorasing on 23 December) 1993 Yodmuaythai trophy (vs Sakmongkol Sithchuchok)

Fight record