Muay Thai, a combat style with roots in close-quarter fighting from 7th Century Southeast Asia, has evolved over two millennia into a brutally effective means of self-defense. Today, it's often called "the Art of Eight Limbs." The wealth of diversity that started flourishing in Northern California in the wake of the Vietnam War meant that an array of Muay Thai masters were now living and teaching in cities from San Francisco to Stockton. Gyms fine-tuning the method's array of punches, kicks, knee-strikes and elbow-strikes have become plentiful enough – including in Northwest Nevada – that a robust competition circuit has become increasingly popular in the Sacramento Valley. On Saturday night, Hard Rock Live in Wheatland, working with World Fighting Championships and Rising Stars Muay Thai, will bring the first-ever, lightning-placed Muay Thai throw-down to the Yuba-Sutter Region.
The action starts at 7 p.m.
The night's main event is a championship match between Antonio Martinez (12-4) of Monster Muay Thai in Flagstaff, Arizona, and Eddie Abasolo (11-7) of Combat Sports Academy in Dublin, California. The winner will walk away with the WFC Professional Muay Thai Championship.
The co-main event will see undefeated Garrett Boyer (5-0) of Vital Force Muay Thai taking on Sacramento's Alberto Montano (11-2), with the victor getting crowned both the WFC Amateur Muay Thai Champion and Rising Stars Muay Thai Amateur Champion.
Organizers say the professional undercard features several compelling matchups, including Caley Scott (0-1) of Omni Movement taking on Sacramento's Cy Hanson (0-0) of Sit Thongsai, as well as undefeated Joe Kimbrough (4-0) of Black Flag Kickboxing facing hometown fighter Marcos Jimenez (1-0) of Collective Combat Academy.

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