Tiger Muay Thai was founded by William McNamara. He had run a Muay Thai camp in Koh Samui before and wanted a more professional, structured setup. Business was slow at first, but word about the training spread and professional fighters from around the world began travelling to Phuket to train there. The camp started with two boxing rings under a thatched roof. Most of the 1.5-kilometer road it sits on was rubber tree plots, food stalls and sleeping quarters. Tiger was the first business to grow on the soi and started Muay Thai tourism there. Other academies existed around Chalong, but none had the same effect. A strong online presence brought in new customers, and many members kept coming back.
In 2015 McNamara sold Tiger to a group of Thai businessmen, one of whom, Viwat Sakulrat, became managing director. They renovated and expanded the Phuket gym to 9,200 square meters. The renovated gym had heavy bag stations around the perimeter, five boxing rings and a pro-size MMA cage in the middle, with strength and conditioning stations replacing older machines. They also brought in 40 trainers to teach classes.
Trainers and facilities
The trainers include former Lumpinee Stadium champions. On site there is accommodation, a restaurant serving meals tailored to each fighter's nutritional needs, a massage parlor, a pool, a sauna and a steam room. Phuket offers scuba diving, rock climbing, temples and beaches.Fighters who trained here
UFC champions Georges St-Pierre, Valentina Shevchenko, Alexander Volkanovski, Israel Adesanya and Petr Yan are among the fighters who have trained at Tiger Muay Thai, and the gym is often called the "mecca of striking."Every year Tiger offers a year-long scholarship that covers training, accommodation and food. It looks for MMA or Muay Thai/kickboxing fighters for a week-long tryout of hard workouts testing skill, fitness and heart. Those who perform well win prizes such as:
- Training at Tiger Muay Thai & MMA Training Camp Phuket, Thailand
- 1-year visa for Thailand
- Fighter's meal plan
- Accommodation provided by TMT
- Training gear provided by TMT Fightstore
