There were two very different results for Tiger Muay Thai and MMA training camp, Phuket, Thailand guest fighters Piril Vårdal of Norway
and American Derek Tranchito at Patong Stadium last night.
Although both fights ended with first round TKOs only minutes in, Vårdal took
the win while Tranchito suffered a loss. Both Thaiboxing fighters faced opponents with over a
hundred fights each – Piril squaring off with Jumbo A and Tranchito matched up with Banyat.
“I went in a little bit scared because I’ve seen him fight before and he’s good,” explained
Vårdal after his win. “I thought it would go four rounds, but I’m happy it’s over. It’s a burden
off my shoulders now.”
After weathering a few hard leg kicks early on, Vårdal faked a knee and caught his opponent
with a surprising left hook. A straight-right sealed the deal.
No such luck for Tranchito who suffered a flurry of knees that threw off his focus. Caught
with his hands down, a strong left hook ended the fight.
“It seemed like the clinch that wouldn’t stop,” said Tranchito. “I really didn’t want the
fight to end like it did, but it’s a learning experience. It’s going to make me better.”
While Tranchito makes his way back to the US next week, Vårdal will be fighting again
in three weeks before heading back to Norway for the holidays.
