ONE Championship

If Rajadamnern Stadium is the Muay Thai experience I’d recommend to someone visiting Bangkok for the first time, a ONE Championship event at Lumpinee Stadium is where I’d send anyone who genuinely loves martial arts.

ONE Championship brings together elite fighters across Muay Thai, kickboxing and other combat sports, and the level of competition is incredible. We’ve watched UFC live before, but experiencing ONE at Lumpinee is something completely different.

These are live broadcast events, the atmosphere is electric and the crowd feels much more local than at some of Bangkok’s more tourist-focused experiences. When a Thai fighter enters the ring, the support from the crowd goes to another level.

We’re lucky that the Muay Thai club my hubby trains at often has tickets available, so we’ve been able to attend regularly and I absolutely love it. The more events we go to, the more appreciation I have for the skill, discipline and courage of the fighters stepping into that ring.

I should warn you though, it can be brutal. These fighters give absolutely everything. I’ve seen some nasty injuries and fighters leave the ring in wheelchairs or on stretchers, but I’ve also witnessed incredible knockouts, huge wins and those moments where the entire stadium erupts and you get completely caught up in it.

Lumpinee Stadium is quite a journey from central Bangkok, so allow plenty of time to get there. But if you love Muay Thai or combat sports, it is absolutely worth the trip.

For the classic Bangkok Muay Thai experience, I’d still recommend Rajadamnern Stadium. But if you want to watch some seriously high-level fighting and experience the energy of a live ONE Championship event, Lumpinee is my favourite.