Action from the Mas Fight event at Town Arena on May 18. Town
Kim Srun Kosal – better known by the moniker “Tommy Kim” – the president of Mas Fight Cambodia, has asserted that shutting down the Mas Fight competitions would be a major loss to the Kingdom’s martial arts community.
Also an advisor to Town TV, who host the matches, he was responding to widespread calls for the event to be closed down,
The calls followed intense criticism of referee Long Vibol, whose lack of experience of MMA-style rules became clear during a bout on Sunday, May 18. During the match, Cambodian fighter Namthieu Kun Khmer used a clinch technique to choke Myanmar’s Joe Phyu to the point of unconsciousness.
Despite this, Tommy believed that demanding the shutdown of Mas Fight is a misguided reaction that would result in the loss of shared benefits.
He noted that Vibol was found to be at fault and has already been sanctioned by the Khmer Boxing Federation with a four-week suspension from officiating. He also highlighted that Phyu did not suffer any major injury and that the issue has already been settled amicably with the Myanmar side.
“Mas Fight has been running in Cambodia for seven years and has supported many Cambodian fighters. This is not Mas Fight’s fault. It's like blaming the cart and burning it because the ox got angry — it makes no sense,” he said.
“What did Mas Fight do wrong? Nothing. So if it’s shut down, that would be a huge loss. We would lose support from the global Mas Fight organisation, which promotes both Kun Khmer and Cambodia. So what would we gain from that? Nothing at all. That’s why I ask everyone for understanding and patience,” he added.
Mas Fight promoter Tommy Kim believed that the Kingdom’s martial arts scene would lose out if the format was shut down. Tommy Kim
Tommy believed that only a small number of people have called for the programme’s closure — mainly because they don't fully understand Mas Fight’s rules or think long-term about its benefits for Cambodian athletes and for the promotion of the Kingdom on the international stage.
For these reasons, Tommy Kim insisted that Mas Fight will continue as usual at Town Arena. He also clarified that he plans to bring in foreign referees through the Cambodian Mixed Martial Arts Federation (CMMA) to officiate the matches. At the same time, he called on other national sports federations to help train Cambodian referees in Mas Fight and MMA rules, in order to reduce the need for costly foreign officials.
“I’ve arranged for foreign referees, and we’ve discussed things with the Cambodian MMA Federation since our programme mixes Kun Khmer with MMA,” he said, ahead of this Sunday’s scheduled fights.
“That way we can bring in foreign officials to ensure that the programme is fully legitimate. Sure, it may cost more than using Cambodian referees, but we’re happy to do it to keep the event running smoothly and to satisfy the support of our Cambodian fans,” he added.
Vath Chamroeun, secretary-general of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), and president of the Cambodian MMA Federation, stated that he is reviewing the issues arising from the incident. He stressed that no one has the authority to override the technical aspects of the sport.
“We are reviewing all aspects of this issue. No one has the right to infringe upon the technical authority of the federation, the NOCC or the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, which are the responsible state institutions. Revenue generation or sponsorships cannot override the technical regulations of any competition — technical authority lies with the federation and is managed by NOCC and the Ministry,” he clarified.
