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A story about getting stuck in Bangkok, asking the wrong questions, and building something that actually matters
The Guy Behind the Camera
Hey, I'm Pree.
For the past 4-5 years, I've been the invisible guy behind Fightlore – filming, interviewing, and telling the stories of Thailand's Muay Thai fighters while keeping myself completely anonymous.
Today, that changes.
Why? Because I realized something important: sometimes showing people that you're just a regular person who committed to something they loved can inspire them to start their own journey. You never know where starting with just ONE thing might lead you.
So here's my story – the messy, unplanned, beautiful accident that became Fightlore.
Before Bangkok: Just Another Fight Tourist
I'm from the UK, born and bred. Been throwing punches and kicks since I could walk – kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, and eventually Muay Thai.
Every year, I'd make my way to Thailand. Two weeks here, three weeks there. Train at different gyms, eat pad thai, go home with some new bruises and stories. I was just another farang (foreigner) passing through, knowing nothing deep about the gyms, trainers, or fighters I trained alongside.
I thought I understood Muay Thai.
I had no idea.
March 2020: The Best Worst Thing That Happened
Then COVID hit, and I got "stuck" in Bangkok.
I put stuck in quotes because honestly? Best accident of my life.
What was supposed to be a three-week training trip turned into almost four years. With nowhere to go and nothing but time, I found myself at PK Saenchai Gym every single day. Not training for a fight. Not trying to go pro. Just... training because what else was there to do?
And that's when everything changed.
The Conversation That Broke My Brain
Usually, I'd train, shower, and bounce. Classic foreigner move.
But with nowhere to rush off to, I started hanging around after training. Sitting on those plastic chairs every gym has. Talking to fighters and trainers. Really talking.
One day, I'm chatting with this fighter (let's call him Nong), and I say something stupidly naive like: "Man, you guys are so lucky. Training Muay Thai all day, living the dream!"
He looked at me like I'd just said the earth was flat.
"Lucky?" He laughed, but not the happy kind. "Brother, I don't train because I love it. I train because if I don't fight this weekend, my family doesn't eat next week."
That hit different.
The Truth Nobody Talks About
The more I listened, the more I realized how wrong my "living the dream" fantasy was.
What I thought I was seeing:
- Passionate athletes doing what they love
- Living the fighter lifestyle
- Freedom from the 9-to-5 grind
What was actually happening:
- 16-year-olds with 100+ fights sending every baht home
- Fighters training through injuries because they need the purse money
- Champions working for peanuts while promoters got rich
- Young fighter's destroying their bodies to pay for their sister's school uniform
These weren't just athletes. They were breadwinners, sacrificing everything – and I mean EVERYTHING – for their families.
And nobody was telling their stories.
One Video. Just to See.
I had a creative background (fancy way of saying I could use a camera), so I thought: what if I made just ONE video? Show the real story of ONE fighter?
Couldn't hurt to try, right?
My first attempt was with a fighter named Pentor at Sasiprapra Gym. I had no clue what I was doing. It turned out more like a cheesy promo video than the deep story I wanted to tell.
But failure is a great teacher. I saw the gaps. I knew what the next video needed.
The Birth of Fightlore
One video led to another idea: what if I kept going? What if I filmed fighters weekly and just... saw where it went?
I needed a name. I'd always loved the word "lore" – you know, like the deep stories and traditions passed down through generations. These fighters were telling their stories, sharing their lore. Their fight lore.
Fightlore.
Boom. Done. I immediately grabbed the Instagram and YouTube handles (pro tip: secure your channels first, it forces you to actually create content).
The Power of One
There's this documentary about Evan Tanner, an MMA fighter who really believed that ONE person could make a difference. That stuck with me.
Every fighter I interviewed started with ONE fight. Every champion started with ONE day in the gym. Fightlore started with ONE video.
You start with one, then you do another one, then another. Before you know it, you've interviewed 100+ fighters, filmed at 30+ gyms, and built a community of 100,000+ people who actually care about authentic fight culture.
Why This Is More Than YouTube Videos
Here's the thing – I never wanted Fightlore to be just another YouTube channel.
I saw the vicious cycle: poverty forces kids into fighting → they fight to survive → they get injured → poverty continues → their kids start fighting. Round and round it goes.
The soul of Fightlore isn't about making cool videos or selling merch. It's about breaking that cycle. It's about giving these fighters a platform, a voice, and eventually, different opportunities.
We're working on programs to give back to smaller gyms across Thailand. We're showing fighters there might be different paths – coaching internationally, building their own brands, creating their own futures beyond just the next fight purse.
One day, I hope Fightlore can show there's a different way. A better way.
What's Next?
Fast forward to today: I have a small but mighty team. We film, edit, and interview the best fighters in Thailand. We've got opportunities coming that I couldn't have imagined when I made that first terrible video.
We're looking to collaborate with anyone who aligns with our mission:
- Tell real stories
- Honor the sacrifice
- Give back to the community
- Show different possibilities
If you're reading this and thinking "maybe I should start that thing I've been thinking about" – this is your sign. Start with one. Just one video, one post, one sketch, one whatever.
You never know where it might lead. I sure as hell didn't expect to be here, but I'm grateful every day that COVID kept me stuck in Bangkok with nothing but time and a crazy idea.
The Mission Continues
Fightlore will keep growing, keep telling stories, keep pushing for change.
But it all started because one random British guy got stuck in Thailand and started asking questions.
Sometimes the best things in life are complete accidents.
Pree
Founder, Fightlore
