Excellent experience. First of all, when they advertise “Ringside” seats, that means exactly the front row right next to the ring. The only things between me and the action were the ropes.
Second, these fighters are not joking around. This is not a show; they’re going at it full-on hard. They want to win, and they want whatever prize money they’ve been promised for victory.
Third, despite the viciousness they displayed when engaging each other, they’re good sports about it, and they seemed to have genuine concern for a severely injured opponent. I admire that sportsmanship.
Finally, there are photo opportunities with some of the fighters after their bouts, plenty of beer to drink provided by the host, and even an opportunity to climb in the ring and mess around a bit when the TV cameras are off, the lights are back on, and the tournament has finished. All in all, this was an exciting event, and if I had the time left on my stay here, I’d probably go again. This is a Do-Not-Miss event if you want to watch another side of Cambodian culture as excellent practitioners of an ancient style of martial arts really ply their trade. Excellent all of the way around!