I Learned To Fight From Monks... | Ellie Dempster | DSH #1981

Summary

---

Digital Social Hour #1981: “I Learned To Fight From Monks...”

Guest: Ellie Dempster
Host: Sean Kelly
Release Date: May 26, 2026

---

Episode Overview

Sean Kelly sits down with power slapper and former Muay Thai fighter Ellie Dempster for an unfiltered conversation spanning fighting in Thailand, the culture shock of moving to America, lessons from Buddhist monks, the realities of combat sports, charity work with orphans, and the intersection of crypto and fight sponsorship. The episode moves fluidly between adrenaline-charged anecdotes and reflective insights on cultural differences, values, and purpose beyond the ring.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Fighting Origins and Thailand’s Combat Scene (00:00–05:57)

• Thrown Into the Fire: Ellie recounts her early Muay Thai days in Thailand where matchups were chaotic and age gaps immense.
  • “I've accidentally kind of knocked out a 16 year old… In Thailand, they just throw you in. The person who walks in the ring is probably not going to be the person that they told you… She goes, ‘Oh my God. Today was my 16th birthday.’” (00:00)
• Power Slap Anticipation: Sean and Ellie geek over the upcoming Power Slap event, discuss wrestler crossovers, and the unpredictability of knockouts.
• Knockouts and Guilt: Ellie is known for being the first woman to score a KO in her division.
  • “There was never a knockout in the flyweight division for women until I came along.” (02:11)
• Fight Culture: She describes the difference in mentality between Thai and American combat—Thai fights revolve around skill and respect, while American fights are framed more aggressively.
  • “In Thailand, it's like, you're going into respect, show what you've learned. Rather here is like, you’re going in to kill someone… That’s the part that I struggle with.” (16:20)

2. Reflections on Knockouts and Responsibility (03:15–06:06)

• Post-Fight Emotions: Ellie expresses remorse after knockouts.
  • “I feel terrible every single time…I always try to make friends with them after, because everyone is just trying to feed their family, right?” (03:20)
• Slapping Requests: The downside of notoriety—Ellie fields unwanted slap requests from drunk men and has learned about the legal risks in America.

3. Life in Thailand: Culture & Costs (06:10–10:52)

• Living Like Royalty: Ellie describes the affordable luxury of Thai life—big houses, land, and vehicles for as little as $1,500/month.
• Teaching & The Orphanage: Inspired by a book on sex trafficking, Ellie began working at an orphanage, pivoting her focus to education and charity for at-risk kids.
  • “I highlighted every single orphanage or NGO that was in there and I contacted every single one.” (08:14)
  • “My first charity…raised just under $3,000, which, given I was living in Thailand, that's a lot over there.” (09:18)
• The Reality of Poverty: Stories illustrate poverty’s depth in rural Thailand—children alternating school and farm duties, monks donating food, the collapse of support for the orphanage under governmental change.

4. Lessons from Monks: Mindfulness & Discipline (12:01–13:27)

• Training With Monks: Before her first fight, Ellie learned grounding meditations and mindfulness from Buddhist monks, not fighting techniques, but mental discipline.
  • “I went to the temple for my very first fight to learn mindfulness and how to ground myself…They taught me everything.” (12:15)
  • “Even sweeping. Like, you have to—right foot forward. Everything had a purpose.” (12:39)
• Mental Edge: The importance of emotional control in fights, something she credits to her monk training.

5. Culture Shock: Thailand vs. America (13:27–16:02)

• Genuine Thai Hospitality: Ellie was repeatedly fed by strangers, even accidentally attending funerals thinking they were restaurants.
  • “I'd walk into people's homes thinking that they were restaurants and they would just feed me… I’ve bombed two funerals before.” (13:48)
• American Transactionalism: She is still struggling with American interactions, which she finds far less genuine and more transactional.
  • “They're looking at you, but looking through you, like, what can I do to monetize from you?” (15:40)

6. Fight Management Differences (16:02–16:26)

• No Managers in Thailand: Fights felt more casual and less business-driven than in the US.
  • "There’s just a Thai guy going, you can fight, let’s go. Hey, white chick, jump in." (15:51, 15:58)

7. Women in Combat Sports & The Belt Chase (17:49–18:51)

• Paige VanZant Rivalry: Discussion about a high-profile, elusive match-up.
  • “She said that she wanted a belt a year ago…now she’s radio silent.” (18:07)

8. Power Slap Mechanics & Strategy (21:00–22:24)

• Rules and Tactics: Ellie explains where and how you can strike in Power Slap, differences in hand and height advantages.
• Danger & Preparation: On the real risk of CTE and the necessity for proper neck and trap training.
  • “A lot of traps, like, it's just defense. That's the biggest thing that you can do.” (19:40)

9. Fight Records & Combative Mindset (22:43–24:35)

• Impressive Stats: 14 fights, 12 wins, 9 knockouts in Thailand.
• Mindset: Calm—not anger—is key. Emotion (even anger) is a liability in the ring.
  • “I do much better when I'm calm. When I'm angry, I just feel confused.” (24:30)

10. TV Stardom: Teaching Show in Asia (24:36–26:31)

• Unexpected Path: From anxiety to being forced onto a “Blue’s Clues”-style teaching show, leading to minor celebrity status in China.
  • “If I didn't do this show, I was going to get deported from the country…It was crazy. We'd have billboards of us…fan letters…the students.” (24:57–25:57)

11. Learning Languages and Wild Mistakes (26:31–28:03)

• Tonal Language Troubles: Hilarious stories about accidental profanity when trying to speak Thai.
  • “For three months I was asking for a penis in my smoothie…One is glue and the other one is ku.” (26:46–27:00)
• Comparing Language Hardness: Both Ellie and Sean agree language rules are tough, but English’s complexity is mostly about unpredictable rules.

12. Charity Motivations & Sacrifice (36:29–38:35)

• Fighting for a Cause: Ellie discusses using her fight career to fundraise for orphans, the emotional difficulty of leaving her students, and the pivot to reaching a wider audience in America.
  • “I'm not here to be comfortable. I'm here to make sure they can be comfortable.” (38:13)

13. Crypto and Sponsorship (29:31–40:56)

• Crypto Journey: Ellie reminisces on peak “StepN” days and using crypto to pay bills.
  • “I had my dogs paying my electricity bill… phone in the vest and played fetch.” (30:01)
• VeChain Partnership: Insights into how VeChain sponsors Power Slap and its real-world applications.
  • “They’re a crypto platform that focuses a lot on sustainability…The founder, Sunny, focuses a lot on both how can we benefit the world…but also actually bring crypto into an actual product.” (39:30–40:18)

14. Weight Cutting Stories & Physical Toll (35:02–36:57)

• Extreme Weight Cuts: Rapidly losing 23 pounds in three weeks for a fight, resulting in burns, passing out, and physical exhaustion.
  • “I had burns on my legs after from the bath being so hot. I think I passed out like six times.” (35:48–35:51)
• Psychological Costs: The grueling grind of fight prep, expensive and isolating, and why most fighters need deeper motivations.

15. UFC, Role Models & Risk Reality (33:00–34:58)

• Greatest of All Time: Ellie picks GSP, finding kinship in his reluctance for violence despite talent.
  • “I really like him because you can just see he's a kind person... He says he's like, I don't like fighting. I'm just good at it.” (32:49–33:26)
• Risk & Spirituality in Combat: Discussing fighters’ spiritual side and the life-or-death stakes, including the grim reality of weight-cutting fatalities.
  • “I've heard of stories of people who have been boxing...the person didn't make it to the ring because the wake up was so bad.” (33:52–34:05)

16. Charity, St. Jude’s, and Final Thoughts (41:13–42:52)

• Major Fundraising: Ellie helped raise $115,000 for St. Jude’s through Power Slap charitable efforts.
  • “The last power slap I did, we raised $115,000 for St. Jude’s. That was with the help of Dana and his team.” (42:04)
• Call to Action: Encourages listeners to support Bandoy Orphanage and future charity initiatives.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “In Thailand, everyone is so genuine… I’ve bombed two funerals before, completely my eyes. Walked in a funeral twice, it was in someone’s house.” — Ellie (13:47–14:01)
• “I'm not here to be comfortable. I'm here to make sure they can be comfortable.” — Ellie (38:13)
• “If I didn't do this show, I was going to get deported from the country. It was crazy. We'd have billboards of us…fan letters…the students.” — Ellie (24:57–25:57)
• “I think for a lot of fighters… they have to fight for something bigger than themselves… For me, it's for kids, you know.” — Ellie (34:33)
• “Fighting chose me, to be honest. I can honestly say I did not grow up as a little girl saying, I want to get slapped in the face.” — Ellie (31:24)
• “Calm, not anger, is key. I do much better when I'm calm… When I'm angry, I just feel confused.” — Ellie (24:30)
• “Crypto obviously isn't doing the hottest right now… Bear market right now… I had my dogs paying my electricity bill.” — Ellie (29:41–30:03)

---

Key Timestamps

• 00:00 | Knockout stories in Thailand, Power Slap anticipation
• 02:11 | Ellie’s KO record and first experiences
• 08:14 | Beginnings of Ellie’s orphanage charity work
• 12:15 | Lessons in mindfulness and discipline from monks
• 13:47 | Cultural hospitality and accidental funeral-crashing
• 16:20 | Differences between Thai and American fight scenes
• 18:07 | Paige VanZant belt chase
• 19:40 | Power Slap physical training and safety
• 22:43 | Fight records and approach to winning
• 24:57 | Asian TV show stardom stories
• 26:46 | Language mishaps and accidental profanity
• 35:48 | Brutal weight cut experience
• 38:13 | The purpose of fighting and charity motivation
• 39:30 | Partnership with VeChain and crypto in sport
• 42:04 | $115,000 raised for St. Jude's

---

Final Thoughts

Ellie Dempster offers a unique lens on the intersection of combat, cultural humility, charity, and personal values. Her journey weaves together the adrenaline of fighting with a grounded sense of purpose and an open critique of the values she’s encountered in both the East and West. By episode’s end, listeners gain a portrait of an athlete whose biggest victories may lie outside the arena.

Charity Info:
Ellie supports Bandoy Orphanage (Chiang Mai, Thailand). Direct donation links and more info shared via episode notes and Ellie’s socials.

---

“I loved everything about it there. But, you know, it’s — I’m not here to be comfortable. I’m here to make sure they can be comfortable.” — Ellie Dempster (38:13)

---

Transcript

[A]

I've accidentally kind of knocked out a 16 year old.

[B]

What?

[A]

So in Thailand, they just kind of like throw you in. You don't know who you're going to go against. Even if you know who you're going. The person who walks in the ring is probably not going to be the person that they told you. And I knocked her out. I go up to her after, I'm like, oh, you know, are you okay? Like, it was great. It was an honor going against you. She goes, oh, my God. Today was my 16th birthday.

[B]

And I was like, wow, Happy birthday. Okay, guys, got Ellie on the show today. Going to Power Slap tomorrow. It's going to be a fun weekend. You ready?

[A]

Oh, I'm so excited. It's going to be a big card, a lot of new wrestlers going up. So I'm excited to see.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What happens.

[B]

WrestleMania is in town. They're trying to take over the slap game.

[A]

I know, let's see what happens with all of it. I mean, their headquarters, Movement of Vegas.

[B]

So, yeah, let's see. Let's see if wrestlers can slap, you

[A]

know, what's your thoughts on it?

[B]

I don't know if they get slapped, man. Because when you look at wrestlers in the ufc, they don't really be throwing hands like that.

[A]

I know, right?

[B]

You know?

[A]

I know. I think this is going to be the make or break. I think this is the one where it shows. Are wrestlers going to be the ones that take over Power Slap or is this going to be a mess? Yeah, and I think that's what all of us are sitting, waiting.

[B]

Absolutely. You've done all sorts of combat at this point, right?

[A]

Yeah, I mean, I'm just a mixing pot of everything. I just want to have experiences and live life and somehow it's brought me here.

[B]

Yeah, it's done well. Muay Thai, done slaps, what else? Were you ever into wrestling?

[A]

No, oddly enough, I'm gonna be honest. Wrestling's an American thing.

[B]

Oh, God.

[A]

It's much more of an American thing. I don't know.

[B]

It is big out here.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

There's a wrestling league now that's doing pretty well.

[A]

Yeah, I've seen clips of it. I've had a few of them who kind of were interested in me, and thing is, I gotta start from scratch. I'm like, I'm open to it, but let's see where Power Slop takes us first.

[B]

Yeah, Slops. Feels like it's like still upcoming, you know?

[A]

Yeah, yeah. They've got a lot of big people behind them. I. It's it's that exact thrill of, like, are you gonna get knocked out or not? There's no question in between. Yeah, but who knows?

[B]

Did you feel that way during your first fight? Were you, like, I might get knocked out?

[A]

No.

[B]

You never felt that?

[A]

No.

[B]

I'd be kicking it the whole time if I was doing it.

[A]

Well, no, only because there were. No. There was never a knockout in the flyweight division for women until I came along. Oh, there was none. So I'm like, okay. Like, I have an older brother. He's a big, burly truck driver. If he can bump me around, what is someone my size gonna do? And so far, not gonna win. So far it stands true.

[B]

I had this boxer on, and it scars me, but he said he'd never been knocked out. And then.

[A]

This better be real wood.

[B]

Please, man. That knockout. Oh. Haunts me, man. Ashton H2. Oh. Do you know who that is?

[A]

I think so.

[B]

Yeah. His knockout was bad. Like, his body was twitching. It was bad.

[A]

Oh, my God. Yeah.

[B]

Those scare me.

[A]

I'd see. I've had a few fighting before in Thailand. Haley, the girl that I knocked out, she was actually my knockout number 10. So I've knocked on nine girls before that.

[B]

Holy crap.

[A]

Yeah. So, I mean, I've seen it, obviously, but it's not been on the other end yet.

[B]

Damn. Knock on water.

[A]

Yeah, right. Like, please.

[B]

You ever feel bad after one of those?

[A]

Oh, I feel terrible every single time. Every single time I feel terrible. I know with Haley, if you watch, I think the camera cut. Yeah, but I'm there. I'm pointing down, and I looked at her as she's getting up. I was like. You like, good, though, right? I am good. I was like, all right, stay dead.

[B]

The first knockout I ever saw in person was at Power Slap. Really? Yeah. Is that one of the first ones? It was at. Where did they have them before Falm lose?

[A]

Like, I forget, but I don't know what. Were you nervous?

[B]

It scared the.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Yeah. The guy was on the floor for, like, five minutes. And it was a heavyweight division.

[A]

Oh, my God.

[B]

So he hit the floor hard because they didn't catch him. I think they were still figuring out the sport at the time. I don't know if the guys were trained enough to catch them quick enough.

[A]

Oh, my.

[B]

So he dropped to the floor. Five minutes, dead silence in the room.

[A]

Holy.

[B]

That was my first knockout.

[A]

Okay, yeah, well, that's a little nervous crazy.

[B]

Now. They got a better system. They catch you with two people, they're

[A]

like, listen, there was an error. There let's, let's figure that one out. I've. I've just can't believe I'm gonna say this. I've accidentally kind of knocked out a 16 year old.

[B]

What?

[A]

Yeah, no, she signed up for it. She signed up for consent. She did. So in Thailand they just kind of like throw you and you don't know who you're going to go against even if you know who you're going. The person who walks in the ring is probably not going to be the person that they told you or the person that was on the poster. And she, I knocked her out. And she comes to me afterwards because I always like try to make friends with them after because everyone is just trying to feed their family, right. And I go up to her after, I'm like, oh, you know, are you okay? Like, it was great. It was an honor going against you. She goes, oh my God. Today was my 16th birthday.

[B]

And I was like, wow, happy birthday.

[A]

Who let you.

[B]

Let me just collect this check.

[A]

And so here's, here's a. I guess not a beer or a beer. I don't know. Oh, I feel so bad.

[B]

How often do drunk guys ask you to slap them?

[A]

Not as much as you think, but really often.

[B]

Okay. Because I go to the after party at Fountain Blue at the High Limit Room.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And there's just guys asking girls to slap them there.

[A]

I mean, I think it's because I don't go out that much, but like occasionally there are people who ask me to and I'm on a pretty tight leash to knack because I don't, I don't.

[B]

You got to register your hands as well.

[A]

I'm not necessarily like great at knowing my own power.

[B]

There's no the risk to reward on that. Isn't there?

[A]

That is for me.

[B]

Well, let's say you knock them out, they're going to like sue you or something.

[A]

Well, we put them on camera first going, I will not sue her.

[B]

Smart.

[A]

Which is so funny enough. My very first time doing slap, my manager comes up to me and he's like, never slap someone after because people will ask you. And I was like, good thing you told me because I would have said absolutely yes. And he's like, we're in America now. They will sue you. I went and good to know.

[B]

Yeah, we're very litigious over here in Thailand. You could probably get away with it.

[A]

You could do whatever you want.

[B]

People don't sue over there. Wow. No, that's an interesting, interesting lifestyle.

[A]

Money not away with anything. You're just like, wow. Yeah.

[B]

Very missed over there sometimes so bad. I missed the food. I've been there.

[A]

Where?

[B]

I went to Bangkok.

[A]

Bangkok.

[B]

And I think that's it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But the food was just insane.

[A]

Oh my God. I've yet to find a place here. I've

[B]

Lotus of Siam.

[A]

I tried it.

[B]

Was it good?

[A]

I like some of their food. There were other ones where they were. It wasn't traditional.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

They were putting in things that would. You can't even get in Thailand.

[B]

They're known for northern Thai food.

[A]

Yes. That was the one. The cow. So I like the kapow guy. Kaido was like, not. That was. I don't ask me what that is. Anyway, I had no idea. But that had stuff that you can't even buy in Thailand.

[B]

So I was like, yeah. Once you've had real time and nothing's ever. Yeah.

[A]

I mean I lived there for almost 10 years, so. Yeah.

[B]

You really liked it out there?

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

I meant to go there for three months, just never returned.

[B]

I mean you could live like. Like a king or queen out there. Oh, very cheap.

[A]

No idea. I had a three story house. Like gorgeous. A car, two motorbikes. I had a granny flat on the front. Eight rye of land. Don't ask me what that is in American. Large piece of land, all for like fifteen hundred dollars.

[B]

That's insane.

[A]

Yeah, it was. I loved it.

[B]

I thought about it.

[A]

Do it.

[B]

Getting a spot out there.

[A]

Do it.

[B]

I couldn't do the full year because I got to film pods, obviously. But like a month, a year you

[A]

get different types of people out there.

[B]

There's people that are worth having.

[A]

Very interesting people. Really, very interesting people out there for sure. And it's. It's becoming more of a nomadic spot. So you're gonna find some.

[B]

I have heard that.

[A]

Like Chiang Mai.

[B]

Yeah, the nomads. Is that where you were?

[A]

I was in both Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah. I moved to Chiang Mai when I started working in the orphanage. And then Bangkok was when I was working with the TV show.

[B]

Got it. Yeah. Let's dive into both of those. The orphanage, what was that like eye opening?

[A]

Very, very eye opening. I. I knew I wanted to work with kids. I didn't think it was going to necessarily work and happen in that sense. But I went, I went there. I actually got into it from a book that I saw in Khao San, which is like a party street which you went to Bangkok. I'm sure you're familiar.

[B]

I saw. I think I was on that.

[A]

Yeah, it's a party street. Like if you walk down without like two things of alcohol in your hand, you're the weirdo. So I walked down the street and there was a bookstore and I had my giant chang my beer. And I was like, hold up. What? There was a book of sex trafficking Southeast Asia. And something in me was like, read that. So I read the whole thing. It was the most emotional read I have ever had. I highlighted every single orphanage or NGO that was in there and I contacted every single one. I said, I don't know what I can do, but please like something. And one reached out. They said, we'd love to work with you. And so my holiday from the teaching job, the, the TV show that I was working with all of my holidays, I would then go on a nine hour bus across the country with as many toys, goodies, like educational thing, like everything. And I'd go when I went there and you know, taught them, taught them, you know, how to. I think the first thing I did is I taught them how to make bracelets. I'm actually wearing one now, but it's on my ank. Taught them how to make bracelets. And I went back and I sold them and that was my first charity. I raised just under $3,000, which given I was living in Thailand, that's a lot over there. It was, yeah.

[B]

You could live off a couple dollars a day over there. I heard.

[A]

Yeah. My first job, the, the TV show one I was making. Oh God. 40,000 Baht, 50,000 Baht. Like $1300.

[B]

1200amonth or a year?

[A]

A month.

[B]

1300amonth.

[A]

12.

[B]

Wow. She raised basically 2 to 3x your monthly salary.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. And I was living in a 20 or 38 square foot apartment, like was a bed and a couch. Nuts sit. And just kind of built it from there.

[B]

That's impressive.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

How many kids were in that orphanage?

[A]

Oh, gosh, there were, I think when I got there, probably around 30.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

There was. And I won't go too much into it because I know we're on a time limit, but the orphanage actually given the government switched and went from an ngo, it went from being government funded and then when the government switched, they didn't deem sex trafficking to be, you know, that bad. And they had to go into an ngo. So they lost a lot of their staff. A lot of them came from Myanmar. They all had to go back. There was no more government funding. They had to close down being a full time orphanage to a half, a half day school. So a lot of the kids would switch. So one day, you know, on a Tuesday, one child would come, and then the other kid would stay home and get rice and food and bring money home for the family, and then they would switch because they couldn't afford to do both.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

So it was crazy. You know, in the mornings, basically, in Thailand, like, the monks, Monks aren't allowed to own anything. And they'll go around the village and they collect. Like, the village will offer food and. And everybody knows that those monks in particular donate their food over to the orphanage. And it's crazy. We'd go there every time, and we would take what they would collect from the morning and we'd make them their lunch. But there were some kids that were so poor, so poor, they couldn't even bring rice home. And rice, that's their only job. The only thing is they just need to farm rice. And they were so poor, they couldn't even do that.

[B]

That's awful.

[A]

So it was very eye opening, seeing all of that. How priv. Like how privileged we are to have education to, you know.

[B]

Yeah. That must have kept you really grounded, seeing that.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. So it's been tough coming back into America and kind of having to go, okay, there's a little bit of a shift. A little bit of a shift.

[B]

People act different out here, for sure.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. Especially in Vegas. Any major city, though.

[A]

Yeah. But I got. I got thrown into Vegas.

[B]

Culture shock, right?

[A]

Yeah. I went 10 years, almost 10 years in Thailand living that lifestyle of, like, collecting foods from monks and, like, living and having monks train me for fighting. Which is a weird sentence, but like a fight.

[B]

Monks.

[A]

No, actually, that was. I didn't phrase that right. I went to the temple for my very first fight to learn mindfulness and, like, how to ground myself. Meditation. And I want to get my head in the right spot. And, you know, they taught me everything.

[B]

They're great at that.

[A]

Oh, my God. It was like Mr. Mayak wayuk Miyagi or whatever.

[B]

Yeah, I've heard of that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I want to go to one of those retreats where you go to, like, a monk temple for a week.

[A]

It's crazy. I had one and I would open the. The fridge, and he's, what, me? No. Yeah. He's. You're doing it wrong. I'm like, how am I opening a fridge wrong? He's like, you have to bend down, head level. You need to do your right hand. So if anybody comes to attack, you need to be ready. You know, even sweeping. It's like, you have to. Right Foot forward. Like, everything had a purpose. The way you even just sweep had a purpose. So, yeah, they trained me for my first. In that sense, trained me for my first fight. It was great.

[B]

They are very disciplined, but, yeah, that mental control probably gives you a huge edge. Actually, a lot of fighters don't have that in the bag. They can't control their emotion.

[A]

Yeah, it's. I'm very, very grateful for it. And it's definitely something that I take with me through everything that I do, everywhere that I go, and every decision that I make.

[B]

Yeah, for sure. What was the biggest shock for you when you came here from Thailand?

[A]

People.

[B]

That doesn't surprise me.

[A]

The people I think the hardest part for me, and, you know, I'm still struggling with this. I shouldn't. But is that in Thailand, everyone is so genuine. Literally. Especially when I couldn't speak the language when I first moved there.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I'd walk into people's homes thinking that they were restaurants and they would just feed me.

[B]

No way.

[A]

I've. I've bombed two funerals before. Completely my eyes.

[B]

You walked in a funeral twice. It was in someone's house.

[A]

Okay, hear me out. Hear. Hear me out. All right, so it was my. I just got there. I was like, a weekend. And I go, and they're having this big party and a bunch of people. And I was like, okay. Like, this restaurant looks like they've got a lot of people. Must be good. So I sit down there. They just start giving me food. And I'm like, I couldn't. It was literally a week of me being there. I couldn't speak the language, and they just give me food. I was like, okay, I guess you just don't order here. And then they give me an envelope. I go, well, how much is it? Oh, anything you want. Like, oh, okay. So I give them set amount of money. I go back and I talk to the. The people that I was with, and I was like, you know, I. This is my experience. And they start laughing at me. I went, what happened? They're like, that was a funeral. And you just gave them a donation.

[B]

Whoa.

[A]

It's like, oh, okay. And then, like, a couple of years later, which is embarrassing because I should have learned my lesson. There's, like, big lights, big music, big parties, because, you know, they don't mourn lives, they celebrate.

[B]

Interesting. Yeah, I actually like that more.

[A]

They don't mourn deaths. They celebrate life.

[B]

Because no one looks forward to funerals here. You know what I mean?

[A]

So, again, big party lights. They had a big Karaoke bus. And like, all right, I want to go to the fun place. Yeah, same thing. Envelope comes out. And I went, oh, no. I was like, all right, here we go. So that's.

[B]

But I. I preferred that over everyone just upset and.

[A]

Yeah. You know, I'm noticing here, maybe it's. It's the people and the industry that we're in. It's. People are talking to you, but for a reason.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

They're looking at you, but looking through you, like, what can I do to monetize from you easily? That's kind of the part that I'm struggling with.

[B]

That didn't exist in Thailand.

[A]

No.

[B]

Even with fight managers and people that

[A]

brought you, what fight managers? There's just a Thai guy going, you can fight, let's go.

[B]

And you're like, so you are your own manager?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah. They're just like, hey, white chick, jump in. And I'm like, okay, let's go.

[B]

That's really how it worked out there.

[A]

No, I'm not even kidding.

[B]

They weren't planned fights.

[A]

No. There were times I see my face on a poster and I'm like, middle of eating ice cream and I'd message my trainer, I'm like, am I? Oh, yeah, you fight in like two days. And I'm like, okay, that's great. Yeah. So common. It's just, it's fun.

[B]

It's a lot more casual out there.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I hear it's more business.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. And actually I moved to America to fight.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And that was tough because in Thailand, it's like, very much you're going into respect. You're going in there to show what you've learned. And rather here is like, you're going in to kill someone. And that's the part that I struggle with. I'm like, I'm a nice, friendly person. I don't mean any harm. I'm a talented fighter. But I want to show you that I'm a talented fighter in America. You know, like, I. I've trained with some amazing people and, you know, I laugh and, you know, hey, we're having a good time. Or just, you know, are you going to fight or are you going to off? And I'm like, okay.

[B]

Damn. Yeah. There's no friendship out here, huh?

[A]

No, not at all.

[B]

Us are off. So you're kind of on your own.

[A]

Yeah, it seems to be every time that I think we make friends, it's not. Not.

[B]

That's interesting. Cuz I've been to the UFC PI and like, yeah, some of the Fighters are friends, but some of them are on their own. I see both of it.

[A]

Yeah. I trained at the PI for a while, and that's kind of where I had it. Like, they just kind of dropped you. Yeah.

[B]

Really?

[A]

And I'm like, all right. This is not.

[B]

Once you started, like, climbing, they started leaving you.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Huh.

[A]

So it just. It stopped being fun because before it was like, oh, I like to fight. I like all of this. But now it's like, we're doing this to the death.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

Like, it's not what I signed up for, but it's, I guess, what I

[B]

did at the same time, slapping to the death.

[A]

There we are. Yeah.

[B]

Paige Francaise. If you're watching this.

[A]

Awesome. Let's go call her out.

[B]

She's undefeated in this, right?

[A]

So far.

[B]

Huh?

[A]

So far, we're trying. We're trying to get her out here. It's frustrating because we shouldn't have to try to get someone who wants the belt to get the belt.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Right. I think that's the frustrating part. Like, she said that she wanted a belt a year ago. She's got her chance, and now she's radio silent.

[B]

Yeah. She was supposed to fight out the last car, and I think she backed out or something.

[A]

She had a neck injury.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[A]

And that's when I stepped in.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah. Which. That's fine. That happens. But it was announced. She knew she was gonna go against me in October is when she knew about April and radio silence. Yeah.

[B]

Damn. She might have looked into your background a little bit.

[A]

Step away, then. As you should.

[B]

The other girls in your division, I don't think they have the resume you have.

[A]

Who knows? There's some pretty. Pretty bad girls on there, but who knows? I think this card is going to show.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Open up a couple people.

[B]

You going to bet on this card? Are you allowed to or no? Legally, I don't even know. No, I know with UFC fighters, they're not allowed to if they're active.

[A]

I don't. I'm not quite sure.

[B]

You haven't got the Gamble blog out here.

[A]

No, because I know I'll be screwed if I do. I am not a responsible person.

[B]

Yeah, that's good. If you're a local.

[A]

Yeah. Right.

[B]

Was there a big betting scene in Thailand on those fights or not?

[A]

Yeah, for sure. But I didn't pay too much attention to it because it was just behind the scenes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I do know, like, a lot of the times I would fight and then people would come up to me and kind of, oh, you won me so much money. Here you go. That's as far as I kind of knew the vetting scene.

[B]

Damn. Neck injury. Have you ever had a neck injury?

[A]

No.

[B]

That sounds hard. Hard, yeah. Not gonna lie.

[A]

Like, this table's gonna be my best friend neck.

[B]

And that's probably the most important muscle to train for this, right?

[A]

For sure. For sure. A lot of traps, like, it's just defense. That's the biggest thing that you can do. And I think it's kind of silly. Some people are like, oh, power slap. It's not a real sport. And. But then they treat it like it's not a real sport. But then they also, in the same sentence, talk about how it's so dangerous for cte, but then don't want to train to avoid it. So I think that's kind of. I think people are starting to smarten up now that they're seeing what can happen.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And knockouts are becoming a lot more frequent now that people have more people to study.

[B]

I feel like every time I go, there's a few.

[A]

Oh, for sure. It's getting more and more. I think it's getting more and more.

[B]

I feel like if I had to guess, 40% of the fights are now maybe a little less.

[A]

Honestly, I'd say more.

[B]

More. Wow.

[A]

I think that's.

[B]

I mean, the heavier, the more likely.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. For sure.

[B]

Which is wild. Those knockouts are. Yeah, those are no joke when you're £300.

[A]

I know one guy today clocked in at, like, over 400. I think it was Manning.

[B]

Oh, my God. Yeah. Because I know there's no cap on me. Heavyweight, because I had one of them on. He. He got some surgery, and now he's, like, half his weight.

[A]

Oh, Hawaiian.

[B]

Hawaiian.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But he used to be, like, 500, 600. Something crazy.

[A]

You see their hands?

[B]

Yeah. It's bigger than my face.

[A]

Yeah. I had one of them line up. My head just disappeared.

[B]

So how does that work? Because you're only allowed to hit the bottom, right?

[A]

Yeah, anything.

[B]

Use your whole hand.

[A]

You can. So, like, I'll do it on this side. Here is allowed.

[B]

Oh, gosh.

[A]

Here is allowed, but it's not effective. And then anything higher is clubbing, and you can't cup your hand or you

[B]

got to go flat.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Boom.

[A]

Yeah. It's a weird thing to try to get used to.

[B]

Yeah. But that takes some time to figure out the sweet spot.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Plus, everyone's a different height, so you got to angle it different.

[A]

Yeah, for sure. But I don't know. So far, I'VE gone against people who are, like, roughly the same height.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I think Paige is quite short.

[B]

I wonder if that gives you an advantage if you're taller. Because I may swing up.

[A]

Yeah, that's kind of what I would.

[B]

I feel like the power isn't as much when you're swinging up versus down.

[A]

Oh, I would want to go up.

[B]

Oh, you would want to go up because you'd. Oh.

[A]

Hit the head backwards rather than, like, trying to get them interesting. I don't know. But I'm not very tall, so I don't really have to worry about being the taller one off.

[B]

You ever fight against someone way taller than you back in the day?

[A]

Oh, my God. Yeah.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah. I had one girl who I studied, actually her sister, because she's. Who was on the poster, and her sister popped in. She was 30 kilos. Well, 15 kilos. 30 pounds heavier than me.

[B]

Geez.

[A]

And much taller than me. So I would teep her, and I'd go flying backwards.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

Yes. We were here for the experience.

[B]

There weren't weight visions in Thailand.

[A]

Oh, there are. There are.

[B]

£30 is a big jump there.

[A]

You're telling me that girl, they were like. She hits like a bus. And I'm like, yeah. Because she's got so much more weight on me, probably.

[B]

That does not sound fair at all. So you didn't have fun during that fight?

[A]

I had fun. Just. I didn't win because there was a big difference.

[B]

What was your record over there?

[A]

It was 14 fights, 12 wins. Oh, yeah. Nine knockouts.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That's impressive. So almost every win was a knockout. 9 out of 12.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You're not messing around in there.

[A]

I've done pretty well in my fight career, like, given, like, karate, combat, slap, everything of not usually making a decision

[B]

often, or do you try to end it early like Conor McGregor?

[A]

Don't we all?

[B]

Some people, like, play with their food a little bit.

[A]

Nah.

[B]

But then you see it bite them in the ass. Well, yeah, with Yuri.

[A]

Yeah, exactly.

[B]

No, he could have won that easily.

[A]

I feel bad for him.

[B]

Do you know if it's.

[A]

He was beat up.

[B]

Yeah. I feel like there's a switch. Some people have.

[A]

There is. And you see it in sparring when you're like, oh. And like, that sparring brain comes on where you're like, okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And unfortunately, we saw that at a very important time in his career, so you can see he's pretty beaten up about that.

[B]

Yeah. When you're in the fight, do you feel like you just. You're a different person. You're not really thinking about things as much. You're locked in.

[A]

Yeah, I would say so. It's just kind of like, because I'm a pretty nice person, you know, I want everyone to do well. We're all out in the world just trying to do our best for the world is against all of us. We're all just trying to survive. But when, when I get in there, it's just like, well, if I don't kill you first or if whatever you're going to get me, I feel like

[B]

you have to be. Because I talk to a lot of fighters and they see emotion as like a weakness in the ring.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Even anger.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Can harm you.

[A]

Yes, absolutely. I know my very first fight is humbled me because my very first fight I went in, you know, all the Rocky movies are in the corner looking cool and I tried to hype myself up and then, you know, the bell rang and I went, nope, no energy.

[B]

You got gassed, right?

[A]

I got gas, yeah.

[B]

Because anger runs out quick and I'm

[A]

not an angry person. So it feels foreign to me. Like I'm not cool with this.

[B]

Not either. Never. Never had that.

[A]

No. I do much better when I'm calm. Like when I'm calm, I'm like, okay. Rather than when I'm angry. I just feel confused.

[B]

For sure.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

What was the TV show about that you were on four years? I need to watch some clips of it.

[A]

No, you do not.

[B]

It's cringe. Some of those Asian shows are wild. What was this one?

[A]

This was a teaching show, so I was still a teacher. And oddly enough, I was told that if I didn't do this show, I was going to get deported from the country.

[B]

Whoa.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

They gave you an ultimatum.

[A]

Yes, absolutely. And it, it's kind of the thing that like kickstarted my personality because I was really scared. I couldn't even talk to two people because I, you know, so socially anxious.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And it, it was pretty much an interactive teaching TV show. So, like, if you imagine, you know, Blue's Clues.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So if you imagine Blue's Clues is asking the questions, maybe he still does, I don't know. And the multiple choice questions come up. So, you know, I've like the. I was live and I would talk to the kids. So I'd have this big kind of look like this room. So you'd have the TVs and I would talk to the TV and I'd be like, you know, the cartoon character would walk up and have an ice cream. I'd be like, is this a puppy, an ice cream, or the color blue? And I'd answer and they would get points. And. And it was pretty big, like to the point where we had billboards of us.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

In China, there were. You know, I'd have fan letters where kids would, like, draw me.

[B]

Holy crap.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You're a celebrity in China.

[A]

I guess so. Yeah. It was. It was crazy. And I actually almost went there because they wanted to send some of us over to meet some of the students.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And it was like, even before you guys knew what Covid was, they're like, hey, like, there's this thing going around. We're not quite sure. You might get stuck there. And thank God. Thank God I did not go.

[B]

Because you would have been stuck for a year at least.

[A]

Yeah, for sure.

[B]

That would have been rough not speaking Mandarin. It's a whole nother world over there.

[A]

I mean, hey, I picked up Thai, so I would have figured it out.

[B]

But how long did that take to pick up Ty?

[A]

I'm still not fluent.

[B]

But you understand it?

[A]

Oh, yeah. Yeah. I do find I kind of stopped wanting to learn because Asian languages are very tonal. However, they put very inappropriate words very similar to appropriate words.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I've seen clips for like, not even kidding, three months I was asking for a penis in my smoothie.

[B]

What was the word for that?

[A]

I avoided saying one is glue and the other one is ku.

[B]

That sounds the same.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

My point, I know in Mandarin there's like an N I G a word and like, that's a whole nother thing.

[A]

Oh, don't. There was one time I cursed out one of my students who was like four years old. What? Before I was like a online teacher and I tried saying that her dress was beautiful and, you know, and the mom grabs her child, shoves her behind her and talks to the teacher who could speak English and starts bra. And the teacher goes, you got to be very careful because the tone that you use, basically because they're very like super superstitious. And she's like, you cursed her child, like, basically like the worst of the worst. You cursed her four year old child. And I went, oh, this language is going to be the end of me. And so I kind of just toned

[B]

it back with the compliments.

[A]

Well, toned it back with trying to learn it because I was like, I'm just gonna speak in one.

[B]

Just have a couple go to lines.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, there's. There's way more instances. Than that.

[B]

But yeah, that's why I gave up on Mandarin?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Did you study for a bit in middle school? Yeah, I tried.

[A]

Oh, dude, it's 12.

[B]

Each word has four meanings, and the tone is what differs the word. Isn't that crazy?

[A]

Yeah, I know. And they mean nothing similar. Yeah, Nothing like one word means, like, water, rice, white mountain.

[B]

Whoever invented that?

[A]

Could you, like, keep.

[B]

Why did you do it that way, dude? Why? Like, English, I know this is one of the hardest to learn, but at least it makes sense somewhat. Some of the words here are weird,

[A]

but I think English, I heard, is one of the hardest to learn only because there's so many rules. So if you don't need to know the rules, it's not so bad.

[B]

Yeah, There are a lot of weird rules.

[A]

Yeah. Even I don't. I'm like, I'll teach a lower level.

[B]

Yeah. I know the basics.

[A]

I know how to order shit.

[B]

English is, I feel like the most important one in the world, though.

[A]

Yeah, for sure.

[B]

Everywhere it's either, like, primary or secondary.

[A]

Absolutely. And, I mean, that's why they were, you know, teachers are so sought out all over the world.

[B]

For sure. So how long do you think you'll be out here for?

[A]

I don't know. Just. I guess we'll see where things go. I can honestly say I did not expect to be where we are today, given I've only been here less than two years.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And, you know, I'm finding Mike Tyson to call out Paige Van Zant. Like, a year and a half ago, I was living in an orphanage, and now I'm calling out a UFC fighter with. With an. A boxing legend.

[B]

Crazy. Like, shout out to Mike Tyson.

[A]

Yeah. Thank you. If she signs, you are going to be my call out. That will be the craziest thing I've done.

[B]

You still big into crypto? I know you were a crypto degenerate for a little bit.

[A]

Yeah. I stepped. I did step back. I think I've got a little bit distracted with, like, everything else.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Crypto obviously isn't doing the hottest right now.

[B]

Bear market right now.

[A]

Right? Yeah.

[B]

So my second or third one now.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Second. Yeah.

[A]

Oh, man. I got into it back when step in was huge. 2021.

[B]

I remember that one.

[A]

Yeah. People were going for walks and making, like 2,000 bucks.

[B]

Yeah. That was a big one. Especially in, like, third world countries.

[A]

Oh, yeah. I had my dogs paying my. My electricity bill.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah. I put my phone in there.

[B]

I know in India. It was huge. Oh, you put on your dog, you said.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Oh, that's funny.

[A]

I got the Little vest. And I was like, I wonder if this will work. Put the phone in the vest and played Fetch.

[B]

That's funny.

[A]

Paid for my electricity bills.

[B]

I thought of doing something like that for my Pokemon Go.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Just to hatch eggs, you got to walk around a lot.

[A]

Oh, I remember that. I was a nanny at the time, and I remember it was a big thing because you'd have people going to parks.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And it ended up being.

[B]

Yeah, there's still a lot of people. Like, I'm in a group, really. Like, 100 of us go to the park every week. Yeah. We're just all like, you're the one that.

[A]

Us nannies are like, yeah.

[B]

People always make fun of us, but I'm like, dude, Pokemon's nostalgic for me.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I was never allowed to watch it or know anything. Yeah, my dad's very, very religious. Devil in your pocket or something. Monster in your pocket.

[B]

I've heard that. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like my parents kind of didn't like video games growing up.

[A]

Really?

[B]

They said, like, you're ruining your eyesight and it's not productive. But now people make a living off it.

[A]

I mean. Yeah. D. Some of the wealthiest people are. People offer crypto streaming gaming.

[B]

Yeah. Making more than fighters.

[A]

Fortnite. Like, come on.

[B]

Yeah. People playing Fortnite. Making more than UFC fighters. Crazy. Right. They're just sitting on their computer.

[A]

Listen, if I could, I would. I am not gonna judge. I mean, I got hit in the face. Who am I to judge anyone?

[B]

Yeah, you chose a tough profession.

[A]

I think the profession chose me, to be honest. I can honestly say I did not grow up as a little girl saying, I want to get slapped in the face.

[B]

I don't think anyone did. Right. And then someone in Thailand just offered you some money one day and you

[A]

were like, yeah, kinda. Kinda. Yeah. I mean, that's kind of how it was in America. Thailand. They were just like, hey, you're good. Do you wanna fight this weekend? And I just kind of hit the button. I was like, why not? Used as a leverage to talk and raise money for charity for the orphanage. And.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Took off from then.

[B]

It's awesome.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Do you watch the UFC pretty actively?

[A]

I do, but I don't like any in depth questions. I'm like, but I definitely. I watch it, go to the events. I mean, it's been. It's been wild. Especially being here, being able to watch in person interview a lot of the fighters. I get to know them.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That's been the side that I've enjoyed far more because I'm getting to know everything on a, like, more personal level.

[B]

Same with. Same with me. I grew up watching a lot of sports, but to be able to interview them and get their actual perspectives. Yeah, it's awesome.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, I've not. I've not really been one to, like, sit down and watch sports in general, but it's definitely. It's definitely up there. Yeah, it's been fascinating.

[B]

You got a goat for ufc? Greatest of all time.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

I didn't know if that was an American technology.

[A]

No gsv.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I feel like that's a more rarer one these days.

[A]

You think so?

[B]

I think most people say John or Khabib. No.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Gsp. I feel like some people say, but

[A]

I gotta respect my. My fellow Canuck.

[B]

Makes sense. Yeah.

[A]

I also. I really like him because you can just see he's just. He's a kind person. And I mean, I've listened to his interviews and a lot of them, he says he's like, I don't like fighting. I'm just good at it. And I mean, I definitely relate it. That. That's something that I've. I've been like, okay, I'm not alone in this, because it is. Oh, it's overwhelming. You're going in and Unless. Because a lot of people, like, they breed this.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But it's hard to find people who are like, I don't breathe this. I'm just really good. And. Yeah, I find him very relatable.

[B]

Yeah. I just had Nico Walshon, grandson of that famous boxer. Muhammad. Yeah, Muhammad Ali's grandson.

[A]

Oh, I saw him the other week.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Month.

[B]

Yeah, he lives here. He just came on and he said, fighters, like, a lot's on the line for them. Like, you could die. So, like, for boxers, it's like kind of like a life or death thing for them when they enter the ring.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, I've heard of. I've heard of stories of people who have been boxing and, you know, the person didn't make it to the.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Even make it to the. The ring.

[B]

Yeah. Oh, really?

[A]

Yeah. Because the wake up was so bad in the back.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I didn't even think about that.

[A]

That. That happens all the time.

[B]

For real.

[A]

Into all the time.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

Yeah. You'll have foreigners running around in garbage bags and overheat. And I didn't know what happened in America. That was news to me.

[B]

That's nuts.

[A]

Thailand is just like another Tuesday.

[B]

I always thought of it, actually, just from the boxing itself, but I didn't even think about that.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. It's absolutely crazy.

[B]

But yeah, that's why a lot of fighters, really, a lot of them you see thank God or they get spiritual at their interviews because it is like a life or death thing in their eyes, you know.

[A]

Yeah. And I think, you know, I think for a lot of fighters in some way that they have to fight for something bigger than themselves. I think for, for a majority of these fighters in, you know, MMA boxing, whatever it be. Yeah, they fight for religious reasons for their family. For me, it's for kids, you know, But I think it's. It's easier to get in there when you're not just fighting for yourself because it is such a risky thing.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You have any crazy weight cutting stories? Yeah, yeah. For slap or.

[A]

For slap, Oddly enough, Thailand, they didn't do anything.

[B]

Wow, so you're really cutting weight like that for slap?

[A]

Yeah, because I took it on three week notice.

[B]

Oh, okay. Yeah, but if you had time, it wouldn't have been as bad.

[A]

No, I learned my lesson from that and I've stayed like, now I'm five pounds and I'm good to go.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I'm doing well. But the first one, I wasn't expecting this at all. And I had to cut 23 pounds something. 21. 23 in three weeks.

[B]

Oh my God. That's a pound a day.

[A]

Yeah, it sucked.

[B]

So you basically didn't eat.

[A]

I had shrimp, chicken and green beans.

[B]

Yum.

[A]

And that was it.

[B]

No car.

[A]

Boiled in water.

[B]

A lot of sauna, right?

[A]

Yeah. And you know, I had burns on my legs after from the. The bath being so hot.

[B]

Geez.

[A]

Yeah. I think I passed out like six times.

[B]

Oh, my God. Yeah.

[A]

Throwing up everywhere.

[B]

I'm just like, awful. I go in the lifetime sauna and there's always boxers in there, fully clothed.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Trying to sweat as much as possible. It's crazy. It's like I'm in there naked and they're just walking in with a hoodie and sweatpants and I'm like, bro, what are you doing?

[A]

Yeah, right. It's crazy what? It's crazy what they're deciding. They? Me, I've done it. But it's the dedication to it because you are literally choosing. I'm not going to eat. I'm going to train hours of my day. I'm going to sacrifice my time with my family. I'm going to, you know, basically living in an uncomfortable state. You know, exhaust. It's expensive too. You're Exhausted. It's expensive. You don't get to, like, eat what you want to eat. All of these different things.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All to get punched in the face.

[B]

It is expensive. And people, you know, talk about this, like, if you lose, you know, it's expensive. You didn't make much if you lost, you know, it's kind of like a shit. Why am I doing this sometimes?

[A]

I've had that question before, I definitely have, where it's just like, you know, what am I doing?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then that's. Those are the times when I have to sit back and go, I'm not fighting for myself. If I was fighting for myself, I probably won't even fight. But, you know, I'm doing this for much bigger reason.

[B]

Yeah, your kids, you said.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. With Karate combat, the one that I came to America for, I raised $30,000 in my very first fight in America. And that kind of set the tone of being like, oh, I'm actually more valuable in America than I am in Thailand.

[B]

Yeah. Because that's 10 times what you were making over there, right?

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. And I mean that. I was just doing little charities here and there. My biggest one was $3,000. All the little ones were, you know, not much.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And, you know, that was a really hard decision because I was working with the kids. You know, I watched a lot of them grow up. I've seen some terrible, terrible things. Seen some amazing things where we rescue children, return them to their families. I've seen some where they got rejected from their families. So, like, I got really invested in the kids and, you know, not wanting to see a lot of things repeat themselves. So walking away from that really hurt. That. That sucked. But then that's when I had to sit back and go, okay, this isn't about me and wanting to make myself feel good and interacting with the kids. This is about how can I make an impact. Because that's why I'm there. I am with those kids because I want to make an impact. And I had to sit and reflect with myself and go, well, the biggest impact I can do is talk about it on a bigger platforms like yourself. Thank you so much for this, by the way.

[B]

Gotcha.

[A]

But it's talking about these things on bigger platforms to more people and raising more money so we can rescue more children. That is why I moved to America's. I loved it there. I loved everything about it there. I love the people. I love the culture. I love everything. But, you know, it's. I'm not here to be comfortable. I'm here to make sure they can be comfortable.

[B]

Yeah, right. Well, when I visit there, I'd love to stop by, please.

[A]

I will give you all of it

[B]

in Bangkok or Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai, yeah.

[A]

It's right by the Golden Triangle. I'm not sure if you.

[B]

I heard of it.

[A]

Yeah, right by Myanmar.

[B]

Well, we'll all grab some food or something. Please take the kids out to a rest. They probably know where to go.

[A]

Yes, they would love it. They love when people go, especially guys.

[B]

They like guys.

[A]

They love guys because they don't visit as much. And a lot of them have father figures or. Or that have lack of. Lack of father fig figures. And a lot of the traffickers are not all. A lot of traffickers are men. And it's very toxic. So when guys come in, it's great to have that. And they love it.

[B]

Got you. I'll be that father figure for them for the day or maybe the week. I'll do what I can.

[A]

Yeah, I'll send you all the information. They love it.

[B]

I'll pop in there. Thank you. Shout out to vchain. Yeah. Power Slop.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You're partnered with them, right?

[A]

Yes. Yeah. So I've been with Vechain. They're actually the introduction that I had to Power Slap. Vechain is the. The leading sponsor of Power Slap. You know, they're a sustainability platform. No, they're a crypto platform that focuses a lot on sustainability and actually bringing a product to crypto. They've got incredible apps. They're doing incredible things. Basically. The founder, Sunny, he focuses a lot on like both how can we benefit the world? Which, you know, all of his apps do. But also how can we actually bring crypto into. Into an actual product that people can utilize? Because there's not many products where crypto is a tangible thing.

[B]

Right.

[A]

It's kind of like up in the air, which is.

[B]

Yeah. Hypothetical.

[A]

Yeah. So this is a thing like, you know, they just got one called V Agent Marketplace where they've got the whole thing run. So they manage your shopping. They ran it. They manage. Everything that you do on the daily is like your own personal AI.

[B]

Nice.

[A]

And VeChain is building all of that. They've got, you know, BYB where you get paid to work out. You've got, you know, even your Tesla. You earn money back on your Tesla. So it's incredible what they're doing. I feel honored to be able to represent them and to be able to talk about what they're doing, both in the crypto sense and in the benefiting other sense.

[B]

So it's.

[A]

It's been amazing.

[B]

I can't wait for the next bull market. But I always see you guys at powerslab. Vechain rolls strong at those events. I always see people in the shirts walking around.

[A]

We're doing our best.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Climbing an uphill battle. We're doing our best. If the market turn could turn around, we would be very grateful.

[B]

This war has to end or something, I think.

[A]

Yeah. Gosh.

[B]

Yeah. But can't wait to see you tomorrow. It'll be a fun night. Anything else you want to close off with here? We'll link your. Do you have a charity people can donate to or.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So if anybody. I don't know what camera I'm supposed to look at this one. Hi. Hi. Camera. So if anybody wants to donate or partake in, you know, the orphanage in Thailand, their name is Bandoy. I can send over the link over there. You're going to be donating directly to the orphanage, rescuing children, providing education. It's amazing. All of the information is there. Also, reach out to me if you want to know any further information. And, you know, outside of that, the next power slap. I do. I've got some things in the works. The last power slap I did, we raised $115,000 for St. Jude's wow. Yeah.

[B]

That's insane.

[A]

I know. I expected to raise like a thousand dollars of wildly more than I expected. Thank you. That was with the help of Dana and his team.

[B]

Shout out to Dana.

[A]

Shout out, Dana. Thank you. So this next one, I've actually, I've been. Because I was supposed to be on this card tomorrow. We've got, you know, very similar custom shoes. Gonna be similar organization, raising all the money, all of it going there. So can't announce anything yet, but we're gonna have some big stuff going on. I'm super excited to step on that stage not only to go for the first women's championship belt, but also to be able to talk about whichever charity that I can't announce to talk about them to raise money and to help our children.

[B]

Beautiful. Well, we'll link everything below. Thanks for coming on.

[A]

Yeah. Thank you so much for having me.

[B]

Check them out, guys. Check out the charity. See you next time. Peace.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Thanks for watching to the end, guys. Please comment below your thoughts on the episode. If you agree. If you disagree, I'd love to hear it. I read every single comment. Means a lot to me. Thank you so much.