ReachExtra
Marbella-born Atlanta Hazell-Smith, Muay Thai Fighter (17) Wins First Pro-Fight in Thailand
“I was nervous, very quiet and my legs were shaking. The presenter announced my name, the music came on and I walked up to the ring through this crowd of people, all of them looking at me. But I had to stay focussed.”
This is how Atlanta Hazell-Smith, a British 17 year old fighter, who was raised in Marbella and who has family in Gibraltar, describes the tense moment that she walked into her first ever professional Muay Thai fight to represent Spain against pro-fighter Nog Fong, at the Chaweng Stadium in Thailand.
Reach-Alcance caught up with Atlanta, who is fluent in both English and Spanish, to find out the details.
“I actually went to Thailand thinking that I was only going to train because I had a torn ligament in my shoulder”, explains Atlanta.
“When they told me I was in the competition to represent Marbella Fight School, I didn’t know if to believe it or not.”
Fight night arrived, and after bumping gloves with her opponent, with only a gumshield and her gloves for protection, as per the rules in Thailand, the bell rang and the fight ensued.
“For the first 2 rounds, I was fighting in the way that my opponent wanted to, which was a lot of grappling, grabbing, elbows, my head was all over the place because I was inexperienced. I eventually started using my range to my advantage – I’m a tall girl and she was short and stocky – and I could tell that this was becoming my fight.”
After the exchange of well-coordinated punches and kicks, the fourth and final round was over and both fighters were visibly exhausted.
The next thing she knew, she was standing in front of a cheering crowd, the referee shouted her name while holding up her hand to signal that she had won the fight.
“Normally after a good fight, people cheer for both participants, but my opponent had left the ring and, suddenly, I realised that they were cheering for me.”
Atlanta explains that the key to her winning was a combination of factors; the training that she receives from both her trainers at the Marbella Fight School;
Rubén who is a Spanish and European Champion, and Fran, a Spanish Champion, her father, who is a military boxer, the support and guidance from her mother and, of course, her will to succeed:
“During a fight, it’s normally the person who wants it the most that wins.”.
Self Confidence
Atlanta told us that, although many girls tend to avoid Muay Thai, it is a great way to build self-confidence and actively encourages both girls and boys to try it out.
“Personally, I feel more confident in myself. I may have bigger biceps than other girls because I train a lot, but that is something I have come to learn to love about myself – we’re all different.”
“You also make great friends at these fight schools – it’s like one big family, and I don’t think that I have ever visited a gym that didn’t have this family ambience.”
