In an unexpected twist, up-and-coming Cambodian fighter Meas Bunthen stunned the crowd at the Boostrong Kun Khmer tournament at Bayon Arena on Sunday, defeating Spanish powerhouse Mario Alvares to win his first-ever championship belt. 

Bunthen earned the 60kg title after a thrilling 3-round bout. This marks the first time the 19-year-old, who hails from the province of Banteay Meanchey, has claimed such an honour.

Prior to the event, very few believed that Bunthen, who stepped in as a replacement fighter without much preparation, could make it through the qualifiers, let alone face someone like Alvares. Alvares was coming off a dominant gold medal win at the 2023 SEA Games, having crushed another strong opponent, Chhut Serey Vannthong, in the semi-finals.

However, Bunthen’s performance defied all expectations. From the get-go, he demonstrated exceptional agility and sharp reflexes, countering Alvares’s powerful strikes with swift movements and well-timed clinch breaks. What made the fight even more dramatic was that Alvares started bleeding heavily from his nose in the very first round, thanks to Bunthen’s precise elbow strikes. After three intense rounds, the judges scored the bout 3-2 in favour of Bunthen, declaring him the winner in a tense, back-and-forth encounter.

Following his upset victory, Bunthen was slated to face fellow Cambodian and previous champion Thun Vanna, who had triumphed over Spain’s Julio Cessa in a similarly hard-fought semi-final. However, the anticipated showdown never happened, as Vanna suffered a knee injury during the final moments of his bout, forcing the organizers to award Bunthen the title by default.

Bunthen’s victory was met with mixed reactions. Some spectators felt that Alvares had landed more clean shots and had the upper hand during the fight, but Bunthen himself did not share this sentiment. 

He explained that he had studied Alvares’s previous matches thoroughly, noting that the Spanish fighter relied heavily on knee strikes and clinch punches, which Bunthen was well-prepared to defend against.

“Alvares’s techniques weren’t really that special. He mostly relied on knee strikes and punches. To defend against these, I focused on cutting angles and using my elbows. I studied videos of his previous losses, and I saw that when you cut him off and attack his body, he becomes weak and his punches lose power,” he explained, after the match.

The young fighter also admitted that his preparation for the tournament had been far from ideal. With only four days of intense training, Bunthen was pushed to the limit, squeezing in as much practice as possible to be ready for the high-profile event. 

Reflecting on the moment he received the call to compete, he recalled: “I didn’t expect to be invited to a big event like this. At that time, I was at a temple, eating with friends, and when I got the call, I was both scared and excited. I only ate half a bowl of rice and immediately ran to train for the rest of the day.”

Although Bunthen emerged victorious, he expressed his sympathy to Vanna, for his unfortunate injury. The two had been looking forward to facing off in the final, and Bunthen also shared his desire to one day challenge other top fighters in Cambodia, including Pich Sambath and Bird Songkherm.

Bunthen, who stands 1.68 meters tall, emphasised his wish to face these legends and settle the score with a clean, decisive fight: 

“I hope Thun Vanna recovers quickly. I’ve seen him getting stronger recently, and I look forward to facing him when the chance arises. I also want to fight Pich Sambath and Bird Songkherm in the future. I want to know who is truly the best – that’s the goal for me,” he said.

With his impressive victory, Meas Bunthen has solidified his place in the Cambodian combat sports scene, and fans are eager to see what the future holds for this rising star.