An autographed photo from Ramon Dekker to Mike Miles.
Mike Miles with Ramon's trainer and father-in-law Cor Hemmers (right) in Bangkok 1997.
Mike Miles and Ramon Dekkers demonstrating some skills to the class. (2004)
In this day and age of extremely boastful champions, many who are role models for youth, many unfortunately are bad examples for the kids. I felt it was very refreshing to spend time talking to Ramon Dekker. The Thai people hold such reverence for him that he has two nicknames. The first is "The Turbine Of Hell". This is due to his strength and his fighting style. The second and lesser known one is "The Diamond" as Ramon is an extremely polished Thai fighter. In Thailand, great Thai boxers are referred to as "diamonds". "The Diamond" does little to sell tickets for his fights in comparison to "The Turbine From Hell". This man is respected around the world except in North America because here he is a well kept secret! Why? Because there is nobody good enough in North America to beat this man, and the Martial Arts media turns a blind eye to Muay Thai and concentrates on Full Contact Rules competition or Kickboxing competition. In this writer's opinion going on his past track record, the "Sugarfoot" (Peter Cunningham) will probably wait to fight Dekker in the future when the Dutchman is past his prime, and there will be probably so many rule stipulations (a la Sakad Petchyindee) that Dekker will lose the confrontation out of sheer frustration and confusion as to what he can or can not do. Dekker is respected in Thailand and I can not think of a time (in the last few years) when a North American fighter was respected in Thailand. Forget the fluff that you read in magazines about fighters like (Dennis) Alexio meaning anything in Thailand. That is straight PR by Alexio's management and it is not the truth. As you read this article you will be impressed with Ramon as much as I was. Quiet but very confident. At times this made the interview difficult as Ramon is very short with his answers. At times, I felt it was like trying to pull teeth to get him to talk. But by reading this article, I am sure that you will agree that he has said enough!
Mike Miles: Good day! Before we get started with the interview, I know you just came back from fighting in Thailand. How did you do?
Ramon Dekker: It was on December 4th and it was on the King's Birthday fight card. I lost my fight on points. In Thailand it is very difficult to win other than by knocking your opponent out. It has happened to me in many of my fights that I have lost on "points" while fighting in Thailand. It's like normal over there losing on points but it can be very frustrating.
Mike Miles: Who did you fight?
Ramon Dekker: Charoenthong Giatbanchong. He is a former champion. We have put in an official protest on the decision.
Mike Miles: When did you first start training in the Martial Arts?
Ramon Dekker: About twelve years ago.
Mike Miles: Did you do any other style(s) before you started training in Muay Thai?
Ramon Dekker: No! Just Thai Boxing. It is the best and the most realistic of the Martial Arts. The other Martial Arts seem to be a fantasy (like a movie) to me.
Mike Miles: When did you have your first fight, against who, what rules, and what was the outcome?
Ramon Dekker: It was eight years ago and I can not remember the guys name. It lasted two rounds with me knocking my opponent out. It was a Thai Boxing fight.
Mike Miles: What is your fight record (as of December 1993)?
Ramon Dekker: I have 102 fights. My record is 87 wins, 15 losses and 0 draws. Again I feel I should tell you that many of these losses were on "points".
Mike Miles: What are the titles you have won?
Ramon Dekker: I won the Dutch Title at 18 years of age against Ramkisoen from the Chakuriki Gym. I won the European Title (MTBN) from Richard Nam in France. I then won the European Title (NKBB) from Morris who was from England. I then won the World Title (IMTA) from Mungkordet Sitchang in Radgdamnern Stadium. I then won a World Title against Nampon. I will be fighting for a new World Title as I have went up in weight.
Mike Miles: Out of curiosity, how old are you?
Ramon Dekker: I am twenty four years of age. I have a long ways to go yet I think.
Mike Miles: Who was your toughest opponent in the ring? Give a few details about the fight: where, when, outcome, etc.
Ramon Dekker: Coban Lookchaomaesithong was the toughest fighter because he has the same dangerous power in his fists as I do. He also can take a lot of punches and punishment before you have a chance to knock him out. He has earned the nickname of "Buffalo Head" due to this attribute. I think I am a better all round fighter using combinations than Coban is. I have knocked out Coban once and he has knocked me out once and he has beaten me on a decision. I defended my World Title against Coban and I beat him!
Mike Miles: I trained with Coban and found him to be awesomely strong. Would you like to fight him again?
Ramon Dekker: To fight Coban again would require a personal motive, but at this time it does not add any new possibilities to my career. The Thai Champions change positions so quickly that it is always more interesting to fight the new Champions.
Mike Miles: You fought Den Muangsurin who is a friend of mine last October (1993). I trained with him before your guys encounter and he always spoke very highly of you. As a matter of fact, the whole Muangsurin Camp speaks very highly of you. Even Coban trains there while he is in Bangkok. How did the fight with Den go for you?
Ramon Dekker: I think the fight went very good. I thought I won every round of the fight, but they (the judges) had me lose the fight. Again, everytime I go and fight in Thailand I have to knock them out, If they do not go down I will lose the fight.
Mike Miles: I have not as of yet seen the fight on video, however Den tolfd me he fought "smart" in his bout with you. He said you have problems with southpaws, so he fought as one and he also leg kicked consistently to win the fight. How do you feel about this?
Ramon Dekker: Well, watch the fight video and you will see what really happened in this fight.
Mike Miles: In June 1992 you lost to Frenchman Joe Prestia.
Ramon Dekker: I fought him two times.
Mike Miles: On this particular fight you lost to him in Paris. Did you lose your World Title to him?
Ramon Dekker: No. This fight was for a new World Title. I lost this one to Prestia on "points" though. The first one was not a World Title fight and I won that one.
Mike Miles: I've watched the second fight over and over and your strength and determination really inspire me. Prestia does not have the strength and power that you have. But you seemed to sleep through the first few rounds and then you really woke up and went after him. It was a close fight, though I feel you should have won. How do you feel about this fight? Are you guys going to rematch?
Ramon Dekker: No. He has stopped fighting.
Mike Miles: I heard he is now doing movies. Is this the reason?
Ramon Dekker: No, because he is in the hospital. He has got an injury to his back. He was hurt in Thailand.
Mike Miles: I heard he was supposed to fight Samart Payakaroon in Paris.
Ramon Dekker: No, Prestia has retired now. He needs an operation on his back and he will not fight again afterwards.
Mike Miles: In September 1992 you fought against Gilbert Ballentine. You lost by decision. I have not seen the fight tape but I have heard several different stories from experienced fighters that you should have won the fight. How many times have you fought him?
Ramon Dekker: I have fought Gilbert two times. I lost to him both times on points.
Mike Miles: Ballentine is awesome as a fighter. I would like to see him fight American Peter Cunningham. In my opinion Cunningham would get banged up good. How do you feel about that match up of yours against Ballentine? How do you feel about your upcoming fight with Ballentine at the end of February 1994 (on the 24th)?
Ramon Dekker: I do not feel he is very strong physically. He is more of a point fighter. He wants to score points to win. He is not a knockout fighter. I will win the bout!
(Since the interview was conducted, Dekker did win the third encounter! In the first round Dekker dominated with hard punches and kicks to Ballentine's body. In the second round, Dekker dropped Ballentine with a cross which the referee
did not count. After a minute Dekker dropped him again with a heavy series of punches and Ballentine went down again for the long count. In the third round, Ballentine fought defensively and Dekker scored more kicks and knees to win the round. In the fourth round both fighters
picked up the tempo and Ballentine did a very good comeback on points. This round is seen as a draw. In the final round Ballentine gives everything he has and wins the round. The result was a win for Dekker. Ballentine's camp has made it known that Dekker outweighed Ballentine
significantly.)
Mike Miles: How do you rate Ballentine as a fighter in the world? Is he one of the better fighters? Ramon Dekker: No, I have seen better fighters than him. He is a difficult fighter due to his speed. Mike Miles: How do you feel about Cunningham? Would you fight him? He is fast on his feet, would that bother you? Ramon Dekker: He is the same kind of fighter as Ballentine. He hits fast but does not pack much power. Mike Miles: Who do you think in your opinion would win between Ballentine and Cunnigham? Ramon Dekker: I think Ballentine would win because he has more tricks up his sleeve than Peter and he exhibits better footwork and movement than Peter. Mike Miles: Europe is years ahead of North America when it comes to fighting. We (North America) used to be respectable geographically for good fighters in the 70's and the 80's but Europe has changed the whole situation by
surpassing us for quality fighters. Are there any fighters from North America that you think are good? Is there any fighters over here that you would like to fight? Ramon Dekker: I would like to fight Peter Cunningham because he is respected in his weight division in the U.S.A. (may I stress that point). Thus it would be a great opportunity to introduce and expose myself to North
America by fighting him in the U.S.A. I know Peter would never fight using elbows for whatever reason he wishes to use. However, I want to fight him using Thai rules allowing the use of the clinch and knees. Peter fought Dida Diafat in Paris and was grabbing Dida's kicks
and clinching which was against the agreed upon rules. Peter always states he will fight using knees without clinching, yet he usually breaks the rules and holds the head and punches. Peter has no excuse for not allowing clinching when he is using these tactics with other
fighters. Mike Miles: Do you think Cunnigham will ever fight you? Ramon Dekker: I hope so. I also think he should put his title up. Mike Miles: Is there any other fighters in North America who have respectable names in Europe? Ramon Dekker: Unfortunately, I can not think of anybody. Maybe Rick Roufus, but he is not a Thai stylist. Mike Miles: Generally, people say you are good with fighters who like to trade Thai style with you, yet you are criticized that you have problems dealing with fighters who provide movement and angles. How do you feel about this? Ramon Dekker: I think they feel this way because I have fought too many noteworthy fights this way (against the Thai's). People are just generalizing. Mike Miles: The Americans are really concerned about fighting with elbows. They do not want to use them. Some will fight using knees as long as clinching is not allowed (pretty lame rules). What do you think about this? Ramon Dekker: I think if they want to fight Thai Boxing then they should fight Thai or modified Thai rules. I can give a little if they decide not to use the elbows, however clinching and kneeing is very necessary for it to remain
close to the art of Thai Boxing. The problem is a lot of fighters do not know how to clinch properly and the fight ends up looking like a wrestling match rather than a Thai Boxing bout when you watch novices clinch. Holland and Japan had the same problem in the beginning with the
clinching not looking very pretty at first. It can start to look a little like a street fight at first. In these countries as the fighters got better clinching and the audience started understanding what was going on, the crowd started to appreciate this part of Thai Boxing. Mike Miles: How do you feel about using elbows when you fight? Your elbow technique is quite good. Is there anything in Muay Thai that you would like to see changed? Ramon Dekker: I have trained to use my elbows all of the time. I like using them and they are just as natural to use and defend against as a kick, knee, or punch. Mike Miles: You have made quite a name for yourself in Europe and the Orient, yet in North America you are relatively unknown except by the Muay Thai fans. You are admired by the Thai people and by fellow Europeans. You are the first farang
(foreigner) in Thai history to ever win Fighter of the Year in Thailand. What year was this? Ramon Dekker: 1992. Mike Miles: How do you feel about this? Ramon Dekker: I am very happy and honoured to have had this happen. It is a great reward to all the years of hard work and labour. Mike Miles: You have surpassed Rob Kaman and Toshio Fujiwara, both of whom were very well respected farang (foreigner) fighters in Thailand. How do you feel about this? Ramon Dekker: I am the first foreigner that this has ever happened to. As I said it is a great reward and an honour to be the first. Especially when you mention these two great fighters. I hope it has helped gain respect for the European
fighters around the world. Mike Miles: What are your favorite fighting techniques? Ramon Dekker: I think that everyone will agree that it is my punching technique. I also like kicking as well. I just fought 2 fights in 1 week. First I fought in Thailand and then I fought in Paris where I beat Germany's Mehmet Kaya.
I won by a second round knockout by using low kicks. I kicked him so hard in the legs that he could not walk. Mehmet is a World Champion in Full Contact and also a professional boxer as well. Mike Miles: Who is your favorite fighter(s)? Ramon Dekker: My favorite fighter is Mike Tyson. He hits so very hard. In Thai Boxing I do not have a favorite fighter. I do think Rob Kaman is a very good fighter. Mike Miles: Who has been the most influential person in your life? Ramon Dekker: My trainer Cor Hemmers! He is a very good trainer, and an excellent role model for what to be like as a gentleman. Mike Miles: What is your opinion about Full Contact Karate (without kicks to the legs)? Ramon Dekker: I did it once in Paris and I fought twelve rounds without leg kicks and knees. It is not my style. I have fought with leg kicks and knees for twelve years so it is very difficult for me to fight without them. Full Contact is not very popular in
Europe other than the slight resurgence because Rick Roufus defeated Rob Kaman. Again this is not Kaman's style of fighting either and he is fighting handicapped by always having to hold back. Mike Miles: What is your opinion on Kickboxing (allowing kicks to the legs)? Ramon Dekker: This is definitely closer to my style but I like to do everything. This type of fighting is definitely easier for me than Full Contact rules fighting. I like this better than Full Contact for several reasons. I think if I can punch your arms to affect
your ability to punch than it only stands to reason that I should be able to kick your legs to affect your ability to kick. Mike Miles: What is your opinion on modified Muay Thai (without elbow attacks and not alowing knees to the head)? Ramon Dekker: This is what will be accepted around the world as the standard for fighting Muay Thai. There will be World Champions crowned for this type of fighting and then of course there will be full out Muay Thai of Thailand which will allow the elbows. There will also be World Champions
this way as well. Modified Muay Thai is the way I see the sport being accepted worldwide and then making big inroads into being a major sport throughout the whole world. Everyone is afraid of getting cut by the elbows. Inexperienced fighters get cut quickly causing the fight to be stopped prematurely and leaving fans wondering what happened. Mike Miles: What is your opinion on full out Muay Thai? Ramon Dekker: This is the way I have trained and it is true Muay Thai, so this is how I like to fight. Mike Miles: What have you gained from fighting? Ramon Dekker: I have gained financially. They pay me very well to fight in Thailand. I have won several World Titles and have been voted as the Fighter of the Year so my name will go down in history. I have also made many friends throughout the world and I am happy with this. Mike Miles: How much longer do you want to fight? Ramon Dekker: Now everything is going very well and I will continue to do so while everything is this way. As long as I have no injuries, I will keep fighting. When everything starts getting worse than I will stop fighting. Mike Miles: Who do you desire to fight the most? Ramon Dekker: The biggest fight to promote would be myself against Samart Payakaroon. He is a legend in Muay Thai. Europe and the Orient wants to see this fight and I do as well. I feel this fight will come within the next year. A fight with Cunningham would be very interesting but Peter uses too many rules and
stipulations when he fights. He also has a tendency to wait until fighters who can beat him pass their primes or retire (as in the case of Ronnie Green), and I honestly feel he will do the same for me. Unfortunately for Peter, I am younger than he is! I would also like to fight Dida Diafat. (Ramon has fought Dida since this interview and lost a close decision in Paris. Ramon was also cut by an elbow in the fourth round. Hopefully there will be a rematch!)
Mike Miles: Are you happy with everything you have achieved? Ramon Dekker: No, not everything. I think I have won a lot of my fights in Thailand only to have them taken away by bad decisions. After a bout I will be confident that I won the fight and they will change it on me. I think a lot of it has to do with the gambling in Lumphini Stadium. Mike Miles: With all of your travelling through Muay Thai competition, which country do you feel has the best fighters? Ramon Dekker: Thailand has the strongest fighters. I also feel that Holland's fighters are just as good as the Thai's. France is now starting to catch up. They still do not have the big names that Holland has. Italy and England still needs work. I do not feel they have very good fighters. Japan does not have very
good fighters right now either. I am speaking in terms of Thai boxers. They may have good Kickboxers, but nothing in terms of Thai Boxing. Mike Miles: Speaking of England, have you ever fought Ronnie Green? Ramon Dekker: No. Ronnie was always heavier than I. Now I am going up in weight and may be heavier than Ronnie. Who knows what will happen now? Mike Miles: What do you think can be done to promote the art better? Ramon Dekker: The athletes in the sport train very hard and it is a shame they do not get the same honours as other athletes. I hope in the future all the athletes in this sport get their due and will be famous in their homeland. This hopefully can be done through
good promotion of the sport by all promoters. Mike Miles: I would like to thank you for the interview and I wish you all the best in the future. Ramon Dekker: Thank you very much and I look forward to talking to you soon again Mike.