Everything feels dull lately. I have no motivation, I’m constantly distracted. This newsletter is two days late again because I have no pepp, no jazz, nothing to work with.
It seems everyone else got a spring in their step from Boris Johnson’s fêted roadmap to post-covid freedom. The biggest mistake he made was attach dates to the show - while my Twitter timeline is suitably full of cynics who automatically pick apart any announcement like this by default, my Instagram feed has been celebrations from those who have marked the dates in their calendar as though they’re by appointment and not dependent on vaccinations going smoothly, no new scary variant cropping up and, well, an incompetent government not fucking up.
So, my life continues to be a weird kinda groundhog day. As someone who thrives on routine, I’ve really been struggling with the same-same, somewhat empty, vibes of the last few months, even as I slowly ramp up the exercise I’m able to do post-surgery.
This time last year, of course, I had an entirely different routine. I can’t believe it’s almost been a year since I last fought. It’s also been a year since Covid-19 may well have ripped through our gym - though, at the time, we thought it was just a nasty flu.
When you’re in a fight camp, your entire life rotates around your next training session, your next run, your weekly rest day. Then there’s the extra-curricular bagwork, shadow, conditioning and, often neglected, stretching to fit in the nooks and crannies of your training days. That means early mornings or late nights, depending on if you’re an early riser or ok with a very late dinner. Yes, it’s exhausting. On Sunday, I’d relish in the day off.
But, you know, it’s all worth it. Even when I've lost, the high of the fight is like nothing else I’ve ever experienced. My last fight was so much fun - I got to fight five rounds for the first time and didn’t tire myself out like I thought I would. It feels so strange to look back on now, especially knowing that just two weeks later, everything would change. Even at the fight, the spectre of coronavirus loomed - one of my close friends was really ill at the time, but she was told it was probably the flu because she hadn’t had any contact with a known case. How little we knew!
I don’t really have any moral or lesson from this. I just really, really hope I get to fight again this year.
A fight to watch: Buntan v Fairtex
Today is a pretty exciting day in women’s Muay Thai! American fighter Jackie Buntan is set to take on One’s new rising star Wondergirl Fairtex in Singapore.
Much as I love me some Wondergirl, I am low key rooting for Buntan. She’s Muay Thai goals. Her style is slick - a masterclass in evade and counter. Her training partner is One Atomweight kickboxing champion Janet Todd and her coach Bryan Popejoy is a legend in his own right, having been one of the first US fighters to compete in IFMA aka the Olympics of Muay Thai.
I’ve long admired her style via Instagram - not to mention, at 162cm, she tends to be at the shorter end of her weight category, just like I am. I love a short fighter, sue me. She’s definitely coming in as the underdog - Wondergirl won her last two fights with speedy finishes - which makes me root for Buntan all the more.
As she told the South China Morning Post, it’s a much bigger audience than she usually fights in front of. She told them: “We compete in a casino hotel and there’s probably 200 people in the audience. It’s a big jump indeed. But I’m ready to show the world who I am and what I can do.”
Buntan’s been waiting a long time for this debut. She was signed in October 2019, and her debut fight was initially scheduled for the following month, but got cancelled. A new debut date came for March 2020, but, as we know, shit happened.
Almost a year on and she’s finally got her shot. In between all the doom and gloom I’m grateful countries like Singapore have their shit together so we can enjoy some classy Muay Thai. I sincerely hope this one goes the distance because the clips I’ve seen of Buntan so far have just been a joy to watch. It’ll also be nice to see Wondergirl get a challenge - I know people love an early finish but c’mon, I want some more rounds of action!
You can check out the fight on One Championship’s YouTube, either on its live stream or when they upload the full fight. It’ll be on about 3/4pmish UK time.