[Seeking Advice] First Fight
Hi all, would love to get some advice from the community / those who have done smokers/amateur bouts in their home countries and/or fought in Thailand.
For context, I’m based in California and have been training Muay Thai seriously for about 4 years. I’ve also spent 2 months training in Thailand before. My coaches have told me I’m ready skill wise, but I work a demanding full-time job and can’t consistently commit the training volume my gym expects for smokers (I average around 5 hours per week versus their expectation of ~10).
I’m considering taking a several-month sabbatical to finally get some fight experience, but I’m torn between trying to get my first smoker/amateur fight at home or going straight to Thailand.
From my POV, Thailand seems great as I’d be able to train full-time and live and breathe Muay Thai, but I’m a bit hesitant about the matchmaking. I’ve heard everything from opponents taking dives to opponents being far more experienced.
For those who have competed in either setting, what would you recommend? Is it better to get a smoker under your belt first, or is Thailand a reasonable place to have a first fight given my background?
Thank you in advance!!