Shannon Wiratchai ( th, ชนนภัทร วิรัชชัย; born November 14, 1988) is Thai

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

who competes in the

Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, this ...

division. He was last signed to

ONE Championship ONE Championship (formerly ONE Fighting Championship) is a Singaporean combat sports promotion. Founded on 14 July 2011 by entrepreneur Chatri Sityodtong and former ESPN Star Sports senior executive Victor Cui, its events have featured mixe ...

, where he also previously competed as a

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight b ...

. Wiratchai is a pioneer of mixed martial arts in Thailand, having made his professional debut in 2011. He is also known for his striking ability, holding the organization's record for the second-most knockouts in the ONE lightweight division, as well as the organization's second-fastest finish in lightweight history.

Mixed martial arts career

Amateur career and DARE

Shannon Wiratchai first competed in the amateur level of MMA, fighting for the NAKSU tournament. After only making it to the semi-finals in his first year in 2009, Wiratchai would eventually win the 2010 NAKSU amateur tournament in the 75 kg class. As an amateur mixed martial artist, he held a 5–1 record. Prior to competing in

, Wiratchai began his career at DARE Championship–at the time the only MMA promotion in Thailand–held at Club Insomnia in Bangkok from 2011 to 2012, where he went an undefeated 2–0.

ONE Championship

2012

Shannon Wiratchai eventually signed with ONE Championship (then known as ONE Fighting Championship) and made his debut at '' ONE Fighting Championship: Pride of a Nation'' on August 31, 2012, facing Mitch Chilson. However, the fight was ruled a no contest when it was ruled that Shannon Wiratchai threw illegal soccer kicks, reversing what was originally a TKO win for Wiratchai.

2013

His next opponent was Bashir Ahmad, whom he faced at '' ONE Fighting Championship: Kings and Champions''. Despite going the distance, Wiratchai lost by unanimous decision. However, he would bounce back in his rematch with Mitch Chilson at '' ONE Fighting Championship: Total Domination'' on October 18, 2013. This time, he won with a first-round TKO via soccer kicks and punches.

2015

After a period of inactivity the entirety of 2014, Shannon Wiratchai made his return on May 22, 2015 at '' ONE Championship: Warrior's Quest'', where he faced Amir Khan. He would win the fight by split decision.

2016

He then picked up his first submission win with a rear naked choke victory over Kyal Linn Aung in the first round at '' ONE Championship: Kingdom of Champions'' on May 27, 2016. At '' ONE Championship: Unbreakable Warriors'', Wiratchai defeated Peter Davis by TKO via punches in the second round.

2017

At '' ONE Championship: Warrior Kingdom'' on March 11, 2017, Shannon Wiratchai defeated Richard Corminal by first-round knockout in his

debut. He followed up with a 29-second, first-round knockout victory over Rajinder Singh Meena at '' ONE Championship: Kings and Conquerors'' on August 5, 2017. However, Wiratchai's six-fight winning streak would come to an end at '' ONE Championship: Warriors of the World'' on December 9, 2017, where he lost to Rasul Yakhyaev by unanimous decision in a lightweight world title eliminator.

2018

He managed to score a 21-second, first-round knockout victory over Rahul Raju at '' ONE Championship: Iron Will'', recording the second-fastest knockout in ONE lightweight history. In what would be the biggest fight of his career, Wiratchai faced former ONE Lightweight World Champion

Shinya Aoki is a Japanese mixed martial artist, professional wrestler and grappler currently competing in ONE Championship's and Rizin Fighting Federation's Welterweight division. He also competes in DDT Pro-Wrestling where he is a former three-time DDT ...

at '' ONE Championship: Reign of Kings'' on July 27, 2018. He would lose by TKO due to ground and pound, marking the first time he was finished.

2019

At '' ONE Championship: Clash of Legends'' on February 16, 2019, Wiratchai lost to Amarsanaa Tsogookhuu by unanimous decision. He would be handed the first submission loss of his career via rear naked choke against Iuri Lapicus at '' ONE Championship: Enter the Dragon'' on May 17, 2019.

2020

Shannon Wiratchai faced former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio Banario at '' ONE Championship: King of the Jungle'' on February 28, 2020. The fight will mark as both athletes' return to

. Wiratchai lost to Banario by split decision. Wiratchai faced former

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterise ...

world champion

Fabio Pinca Fabio Pinca (born June 14, 1984) is an Italian-French Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist. Pinca is currently signed to ONE Championship. In 2010, Pinca became the first winner of the annual Thai Fight tournament. Biography Fabio Pin ...

, who will be making his mixed martial arts debut, at '' ONE Championship: No Surrender 3'' on August 21, 2020. He was able to snap his four-fight losing streak and went on to defeat Pinca by split decision.

2023

After almost three years hiatus, Wiratchai faced Puriya Golpour on February 3, 2023, at

ONE Friday Fights 3 ''ONE Friday Fights 3: Chorfah vs. Petsukumvit'' (also known as ''ONE Lumpinee 3'') was a combat sport event produced by ONE Championship that took place on February 3, 2023, at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Background A f ...

. He won the fight by first-round technical knockout. The win earned him a

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

$10,000 ''

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

'' bonus.

Fighting style & MMA ventures

Outside of fighting, he is also an instructor of mixed martial arts and self-defense at the Bangkok Fight Lab. He took up judo lessons at the age of 8, which helped build his foundation in mixed martial arts. Later on, he also developed a keen interest for

Chinese martial arts Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...

, particularly

baguazhang Baguazhang or Pakua chang () is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being T'ai chi and Xing Yi Quan. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice (or neijia quan). ''Bāguà zhǎng'' literally ...

, which he would practice at

Lumphini Park Lumphini Park ( th, สวนลุมพินี, , ), also Lumpini or Lumpinee, is a 360 rai () park in Bangkok, Thailand. The park offers rare open public space, trees, and playgrounds in the Thai capital and contains an artificial lake ...

. Wiratchai has termed his own fighting style the "OneShin Striking System", which is based on "attacking opponents who leave themselves vulnerable". According to Wiratchai, the "OneShin Striking System" incorporates the basics of the striking arts he's learned. It also focuses on five core principles: balance, range, angle, rhythm and execution. "My main style is more like an unpredictable striking style," Wiratchai has said, elaborating on his style, "Then I refine my striking with more boxing knowledge. I think my most dangerous weapon may be my right hook. The thing that makes my right hook so strong is because I got no form. I'm just thinking about how to land my hand on the target: How I'm setting up, how I'm moving, how I find the angle, how I move to the goal." While mostly based on striking, this style also incorporates elements of judo and kung fu. When he turned pro in MMA, he later applied elements of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, boxing and wrestling into his style. Outside of fundamental striking, Wiratchai mostly trains in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wrestling, holding a black belt in judo and a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. On September 9, 2017, Shannon Wiratchai hosted the "OneShin Cup", an amateur mixed martial arts tournament. Wiratchai created the tournament with purpose of establishing more awareness surrounding the sport of MMA in Thailand, as well as developing Thai mixed martial artists so that they would be capable of competing at an international level. The event was streamed live on the Facebook page and YouTube channel of the Ignite Fight Club. The second edition of the OneShin Cup was held on May 5, 2018. The event was known for featuring future

Kickboxing and Muay Thai Atomweight World Champion

Stamp Fairtex Nadthawan Panthong ( th, ณัฐวรรณ พานทอง, born November 16, 1997), known professionally as Stamp Fairtex ( th, แสตมป์ แฟร์เท็กซ์, links=no), is a Thai Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial ...

Personal life

Unlike most Thai fighters, Shannon Wiratchai comes from a well-to-do background. His father is a doctor and his mother is a nurse, both of them working at the

King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (KCMH, th, โรงพยาบาลจุฬาลงกรณ์; ) is a public general and tertiary referral hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. It is operated by the Thai Red Cross Society, and serves as the ...

. Wiratchai graduated from Chulalongkorn University Demonstration Secondary School. He then went on to complete his college education at

Chulalongkorn University Chulalongkorn University (CU, th, จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย, ), nicknamed Chula ( th, จุฬาฯ), is a public and autonomous research university in Bangkok, Thailand. The university was originally fo ...

. Wiratchai speaks Thai,

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

and

Mandarin Chinese Mandarin (; ) is a group of Chinese (Sinitic) dialects that are natively spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. The group includes the Beijing dialect, the basis of the phonology of Standard Chinese, the official language ...

. Until 2019, Shannon Wiratchai had been dating Tiger Muay Thai teammate and fellow mixed martial artist Rika Ishige, who competes in ONE Championship's atomweight division. The two have fought on the same card five times: ONE Championship: Warrior Kingdom on March 11, 2017 in Bangkok, ONE Championship: Kings and Conquerors on August 5, 2017 in Macau, ONE Championship: Warriors of the World on December 9, 2017 in Bangkok, ONE Championship: Iron Will on March 24, 2018 in Bangkok, and ONE Championship: Clash of Legends on February 16, 2019 in Bangkok. Wiratchai and Ishige have been referred to as "Thailand's martial arts power couple". In 2020, he began dating American-Indonesian yoga instructor Fay Lee. The two married on October 7, 2022.

Titles & accomplishments

*NAKSU **2010 NAKSU Amateur Tournament 75 kg Champion *

(One time) **2nd-most knockouts in ONE Lightweight history (4) **2nd-fastest knockout in ONE Lightweight history (0:21)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 11–6 , Puriya Golpour , TKO (punches & elbows) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:33 ,

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populatio ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 10–6 ,

, Decision (split) , ONE: No Surrender 3 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, , - , Loss , align=center, 9–6 , Honorio Banario , Decision (split) , ONE: King of the Jungle , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Kallang Kallang is a planning area and residential town located in the Central Region of Singapore. Development of the town is centered around the Kallang River, the longest river in Singapore. Kallang Planning Area is bounded by Toa Payoh in the n ...

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

, , - , Loss , align=center, 9–5 , Iuri Lapicus , Submission (rear naked choke) , ONE: Enter the Dragon , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:10 ,

, , - , Loss , align=center, 9–4 , Amarsanaa Tsogookhuu , Decision (unanimous) , ONE: Clash of Legends , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, , - , Loss , align=center, 9–3 ,

, TKO (elbows) , ONE: Reign of Kings , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:16 ,

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital city, capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is Cities of the Philippines#Independent cities, highly urbanize ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 9–2 , Rahul Raju , KO (punch) , ONE: Iron Will , , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:21 ,

, , - , Loss , align=center, 8–2 , Rasul Yakhyaev , Decision (unanimous) , ONE: Warriors of the World , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Rajinder Singh Meena , KO (knee) , ONE: Kings and Conquerors , , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:29 ,

Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...

, China , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Richard Corminal , KO (punch) , ONE: Warrior Kingdom , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:37 ,

Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populatio ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Peter Davis , TKO (punches) , ONE: Unbreakable Warriors , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:32 ,

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , sub ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Kyal Linn Aung , Submission (rear naked choke) , ONE: Kingdom of Champions , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:17 ,

, , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Amir Khan , Decision (split) , ONE: Warrior's Quest , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Mitch Chilson , KO (soccer kicks & punches) , ONE FC: Total Domination , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:52 ,

, , - , Loss , align=center, 2–1 , Bashir Ahmad , Decision (unanimous) , ONE FC: Kings and Champions , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, , - , NC , align=center, 2–0 , Mitch Chilson , NC (illegal soccer kick) , ONE FC: Pride of a Nation , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:03 ,

Quezon City, Philippines Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,960,048 people. It was foun ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Tondamrong Panjabutra , Submission (rear naked choke) , DARE Championship: Dare 2/12 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:00 ,

, , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , D.K. Panjabutra , Decision (unanimous) , DARE Championship: Dare 2/11 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, , -

References

Notes

External links

*
Shannon Wiratchai
at

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiratchai, Shannon 1988 births Living people Lightweight mixed martial artists Featherweight mixed martial artists Shannon Wiratchai Shannon Wiratchai Shannon Wiratchai Shannon Wiratchai Shannon Wiratchai Shannon Wiratchai Mixed martial artists utilizing Baguazhang Mixed martial artists utilizing judo Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu