Italian event organiser Fight Clubbing has declared its first collaboration with Kun Khmer in Siem Reap a resounding success, claiming that more than 100,000 people attended the “Phimean Akas Kun Khmer – Fight Clubbing Boostrong” event at Angkor, a turnout it described as a world record for active combat sports promotions.
In an October 21 statement, Fight Clubbing said the event brought together Kun Khmer and international combat sports at the spectacular setting of the Unesco World Heritage site. It was broadcast live worldwide on DAZN, with support from the Royal Government of Cambodia and the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC).
The “Phimean Akas Kun Khmer – Fight Clubbing Boostrong” event was held under lights at the Elephant Terrace in Angkor Thom, at the heart of the Unesco-listed Angkor Archaeological Park, on October 18.
The promotors announced that more than 100,000 spectators gathered among the ancient temples, around a thousand years after the grand contests of the past that Cambodian kings were said to have watched.
The event, Fight Clubbing 44, was organised by an Italian team and broadcast live through DAZN to more than 200 countries worldwide.
The event was attended by senior Cambodian officials, including Senior Minister Thong Khon, NOCC president, as well as Siem Reap provincial leaders and representatives of the APSARA National Authority, which is responsible for protecting and managing the Angkor Archaeological Park.
The seven international bouts on October 18 featured champions from Cambodia, Italy, Tunisia, Iran, Türkiye, Algeria and Senegal, bringing fighters from three continents together in one ring. Each contest was accompanied by live performances, traditional drumming and performers dressed as ancient Khmer warriors, creating a dramatic historical atmosphere.
Fight Clubbing highlighted the victory of Cambodian star Thoeun Theara, who became the promotion’s new middleweight world champion after a fiercely contested bout against Senegalese fighter Abdoulaye Diallo. Cambodian fighter Eh Ammarinphoutong, a multiple-time champion, also claimed a world title belt.
Town TV produced the programme and handled the domestic live broadcast, while Italian producer Cosimo Scialpi led the international production, coordinated by producers Andrea Sagi Carletti and Emmanuelle Cilli.
The event was hosted by American ring announcer Matthew Parrino alongside Cambodian host MC Vutha. International commentary was provided by Luciano Dibiase and Sandy Holt.
Following their championship victories at the October 18 event, both Theara and Ammarinphoutong automatically secured contracts for three future fights with Fight Clubbing at events around the world, according to Carletti, the promotion’s chief executive, who announced the arrangement at an October 15 press conference.
Tommy Kim, an adviser to Town TV and president of the International Professional Combat Council (IPCC) in Cambodia, posted figures comparing live attendance at five major Fight Clubbing events. The Angkor event topped the list, with more than 100,000 spectators.
Kim, who worked directly with Carletti and Scialpi of DAZN to help organise the first boxing event of its kind at Angkor, wrote: “Phimean Akas Kun Khmer – Fight Clubbing Boostrong is a source of pride, with the words ‘Kun Khmer’ featured in its name, and is recognised as breaking the world record for the largest live audience. Congratulations to the people of Siem Reap and all Cambodians who support Kun Khmer, a legacy passed down from our ancestors over thousands of years.”