By Mike Lynn
This Friday, two fighters from Maisonet's Muay Thai gym in Tobyhanna will compete for championship titles in Freedom Fighter Promotion's Freedom 6 event.
For over 30 years, Kru Yod Hamzah Maisonet has trained with some of the best Muay Thai professionals in the business. Fighting as "The Great Scorpion," Maisonet's experience includes competing worldwide, holding over ten combined titles in the middle, welterweight, and lightweight weight divisions, ranking as a professional 2-time World champion, and so much more. With a Muay Thai record of 70-2, 43 by way of knockout, Maisonet's experience proves invaluable when it comes to teaching. Certified by Kruu Yodtong Senannan's Sityodtong Muay Thai Boxing Camp, south of Bangkok, in 1995, Kru Yod Hamzah would go on to teach over 50 champions, many of which have won multiple titles. Owning three gyms in Pennsylvania, New York, and Mexico, Maisonet currently teaches with his son, Kruu Brandon Maisonet, at his gym in Tobyhanna.
Kruu Brandon "The Purple Scorpion "Maisonet comes from a family of fighters. Training under his father since his youth, Kruu Brandon currently teaches and fights professionally. Bringing the experience of over 20 years of Muay Thai and 113 fights, Kruu Brandon holds champion titles from the WKA, IFMA, USMTA, and USKBA leagues, including two world titles. Kruu Brandon teaches along with Kru Yod Hamzah, and both will be working the corner for their fighters at Freedom 6.
This Friday, JJ "Hollywood" Veramendi and Reginald "The Disciple" Carter, fighting out of Maisonet's Tobyhanna gym, will compete in Freedom Fighter Promotion's Freedom 6 event at the Grand Roosevelt Ballroom in Yonkers, New York. Veramendi has been practicing Muay Thai for two and a half years. With a record of 9-1, 4 by way of knockout, the 23-year-old fighter holds three champion titles in the 205lb division from the USKA, ECF, and NYC Fight TV leagues. Veramendi looks to add to that collection as he drops weight to compete for the 187lb USA Freedom Champion title. Excitement was alive in a prefight interview with Freedom Fighter Promotions CEO Rami Ibrahim. "After every single fight, I adapt, I fix my mistakes, and I get back in there. I give a better performance every single time," said Veramendi, "If you look at all my fights, not one of them are the same. You look at one, the next one's even better, you look at that one, the next one is even better, that's why it's so hard to study on me, you look at my fights, and it's never gonna be the same."
Reginald "The Disciple" Carter has been practicing Muay Thai for three years. Carter was given the fight name "The Disciple" by Kru Yod Hamzah, who describes Carter as very hardworking and very devoted, saying, "I gave him the name the Disciple because he earned that name." With a record of 9-2, 7 by way of knockout, the 26-year-old fighter holds two champion titles in the 140lb division from the NYC Fight TV and AKBF leagues. Carter will be putting his skills to the test in the USA's first Muay Thai "8-Man World Grand Prix" in over a decade. This tournament will consist of fighters on a national and international level competing in the 135lb weight division. To be declared the winner, Carter will have to beat three opponents in one night. The winner of this historical 8-man World Grand Prix will earn the Freedom World Championship belt and receive a free trip to Thailand with all accommodations taken care of at the P.K. SaenchaiMuayThaiGym. In a prefight interview with Rami Ibrahim, Carter said, "I feel like I belong here. Everything in this journey has aligned for me to be here."
Kru Yod Hamzah is looking forward to Freedom 6. "One thing we have here at Maisonet's Muay Thai, and I teach them all, is that we're not going there to play Muay Thai. We're going there to fight," said Maisonet, "We don't play the game. We go there to fight. If you fight one of us, get ready for a rumble. Either you're gonna take us out or we're taking you out. We're not going there to play."
Freedom 6 is being held this Friday, July 1, at the Grand Roosevelt Ballroom in Yonkers, NY. Ticket information and PPV links can be found below.
See the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UJ7U9nIxqY
Fight Address: 2 Hudson Street, Yonkers, NY 10701
Purchase Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/freedom-6-tickets-349234869897?aff=Maisonets
PPV link: https://www.freedomfighterpromotions.com/ppv
Maisonet's Thaiboxing Gym Address: 552 Main St, Tobyhanna, PA 18466
Maisonet's Thaiboxing Gym Phone Number: (646)580-3028
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