Muay Thai championship fights hit Primm this weekend

Courtesy of WCK Muay Thai

Professional Muay Thai fighter Shawn Yarborough looks to land a knee in a WBC title fight against Tom Munro.

By Brett Okamoto

Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010 | 9:49 p.m.

Las Vegas resident Shawn Yarborough would be a welcome guest at this week's UFC Fan Expo in Boston, Mass., considering he's the Muay Thai coach for several fighters on the company's roster.

However, Yarborough has his own fighting to do this weekend.

The 35-year-old Muay Thai specialist will look to defend his IKKC light-heavyweight title Saturday against Stephen Richards on the Full Rules WCK Muay Thai Championships card in Primm.

Yarborough and Richards will be familiar foes in the ring. The two met six years ago in an amateur bout in Virginia, with Richards taking away a decision win.

Although Yarborough says he knows how to handle a loss, getting the opportunity to avenge one never is a bad thing.

"He beat me fair and square, but I lit him up in the first round," Yarborough said. "I put him through the ropes, but I didn't finish him.

"I'm looking forward to (the rematch). He's definitely a good fighter."

Yarborough's career in Muay Thai has taken him through 82 amateur fights in competitions around the world, including Italy, Canada and Thailand.

Since turning professional in 2007, he's compiled a record of 10-1-1 and claimed the IKKC and WBC 175-pound light-heavyweight titles.

Not bad for an athlete who suffered a back injury 15 years ago that made the simple task of walking difficult.

Before he started training Muay Thai in 1996, Yarborough was a promising outside linebacker at Montgomery College in Rockville, Md.

His plans of transferring to the University of Maryland and playing for the Terps were derailed, however, when a lingering back injury was diagnosed as a lumbar fusion that instantly put an end to his football career.

"It's not one of those things where I was laid out on a stretcher on the field; it just happened," Yarborough said. "I had two injured discs in my back, and a piece that broke off got lodged between my back and my nerves.

"I had to get titanium cages inserted in my back. It took me about a year to recover. I was having a hard time just walking down the driveway."

After wearing a body brace for a year, Yarborough made a full recovery and hasn't allowed the injury to affect his fighting career.

In working regularly with UFC fighters such as Forrest Griffin, Frank Mir, Gilbert Yvel and Evan Dunham, Yarborough has trained in mixed martial arts and believes he might transition to the sport within the next 12 months.

"I do have a ground game that I've continued to work on," he said. "I think (the transition to MMA) should happen within a year."

Several other Las Vegas-based fighters also are set to compete at this weekend's event.

Super middleweight Jack Thames will look to bounce back from a narrow decision loss to Craig Buchanan in April against Mike Ryan. Talented middleweight Chaz Mulkey will look to upset Remy Bonnel.

Jeri Sitzes, who has competed in the Strikeforce mixed-martial-arts promotion, will take on Joanna MacEachern for the women's WBC International super bantamweight title.

Tickets for the event are available and priced between $35 and $100. The main card begins at 7 p.m.

Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or brett.okamoto@lasvegassun.com. Follow him on Twitter at LVSunFighting