MIXED MARTIAL ARTS: Were Sean Wright a footballer, he might share a nickname with former Leeds United hard man Norman 'Bites Your Legs' Hunter.
While Hunter felled opponents with ferocious tackles, Wright prefers the more direct approach of inflicting devastating damage with the most talked-about leg kicks in Scottish MMA.
A Muay Thai world champion who has started his MMA career in impressive fashion, the 30-year-old Glasgow fighter’s name is rarely spoken without reference to his famous striking skills.
But to dismiss him as dangerous only while the fight is on the feet would, according to his Dinky Ninja Fight Team coaches at the Griphouse, prove to be a very costly mistake.
Wright has the chance to add an MMA belt to his remarkable collection of Muay Thai prizes when he takes part in On Top Promotions’ four-man lightweight tournament at Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall on Saturday night (September 24).
The lightweight belt is on the line at On Top 3, where Wright will be quite happy for his opponents to overlook his ground game.
He said: “The longer I can keep people convinced I’m just a striker, the better it is for me.
“So I’d like to go on record as saying I have no ability to wrestle or do jiu-jitsu.
“Sure, I’ve had plenty of low kick stoppages over my Muay Thai career, and I pack plenty of power in my kicks. But I’ve also got more than a few stoppages via elbows, knees to the head and good old-fashioned punches in the teeth.”
Wright started training in Muay Thai at the age of 14 and has been a dedicated student of the ‘science of eight limbs’ ever since.
While at Glasgow University in his early 20s, he packed up his gear and moved to Thailand to learn from the world’s best.
It certainly had the desired effect as he went on to amass a 32-12-3 record, winning a string of titles along the way.
He starred on the television reality show The Contender Asia in 2007, where he reached the finale before eventually losing a unanimous decision to Soren Monkongtong in Singapore.
He said: “I think living in Thailand was eventually wearing me down, physically and mentally.
“Spending time back in the UK over Christmas one year gave me an opportunity to try out training in MMA and it really gave me a new lease of life.
“About that time, I felt like I needed a break from Muay Thai and Thailand and decided I would come back home for a bit and take up MMA more seriously.
“Even when I was living in Thailand I would usually end up back in the UK over Christmas visiting my family and when I came back I would train at The Griphouse.
“It’s really the only place I would go to train MMA in Scotland at the moment.
“It’s got all the best coaches, and they all happen to be long time friends of mine.”
With a pro MMA record of 3-0, all via first round knockout or TKO, it appears the likeable Wright is well on his way to a successful career in the cage.
He goes into the draw for the semi-finals of On Top’s tournament with fellow Scot Bobby McVitie (8-8), English scrapper Scott Jansen (7-9) and unknown French fighter Mamour Fall (8-5).
And despite being by far the least experienced man of the four, he is many people’s favourite to triumph in the final -- the evening’s main event.
He is also the only one not to have lost a pro MMA fight. Not that the man himself thinks either of those factors will play any part on the night.
“I don’t rest on my laurels when I win, and I would never let myself be brought down for long by a poor performance.
“Each fight is a fresh slate to me. I train hard, prepare well and give it my all.”
The former Hyndland Secondary pupil fights and coaches for a living and admits On Top Promotions have been a shot in the arm of Scottish MMA.
Wright has fought on the organisation’s previous two events. He said: “The guys at On Top run a great promotion and have been good to me.
“They keep me active, get me fights and get me paid. I can’t ask for more than that.”
Perhaps it’s the coach in him, but he couldn’t resist giving his three potential opponents a few words of advice ahead of the tournament.
“Come out with your hands down and chin up lads,” he joked.
“Close your eyes when striking as well.”
- On Top 3 is at the Kelvin Hall from 6pm on Saturday, September 24. Tickets, starting at £25, are available online at www.ontoppromotions.co.uk and from Bodyfuel, 266 Glasgow Road, Clydebank.
The all-pro card also features a Bantamweight title fight between James Doolan and David Aranda, as well as a highly-anticipated clash between Scotland’s top-two ranked welterweights John Quinn and Steven Ray.
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