BANGKOK – Calgary’s Jake Peacock celebrates his One Championship debut win over Japanese bantamweight Kohei (Samurai Warrior) Shinjo, not shown, in a Muay Thai bout in Bangkok in a Friday, April 5, 2024, handout photo. The 30-year-old Peacock, who was born without a right hand, improved to 13-1. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-One Championship, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
BANGKOK – Calgary’s Jake (The One) Peacock won his Muay Thai debut in One Championship on Friday, earning a unanimous decision over Japanese bantamweight Kohei (Samurai Warrior) Shinjo.
Peacock, who is missing his right hand, was the aggressor throughout the three-round fight at the storied Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
Shinjo (7-3-0) could never find the range and Peacock (13-1-0) kept coming at him, scoring with high kicks in the third round. The Japanese fighter was bloodied but game as the fight ended with Peacock smiling as Shinjo tried to engage.
The 30-year-old Peacock was born without a right hand. The amniotic band was wrapped around his arm in the early stages of development, which stopped it from growing.
“Look at me, guys,” a jubilant Peacock said after the win. “Look at me. And I’m on the world stage whupping butt.”
But there was disappointment for Montreal’s Jonathan Di Bella, who was slated to make the second defence of his his One strawweight kickboxing world title against Thailand’s Prajanchai PK Saenchai in the co-main event
Di Bella failed the hydration test One Championship requires before bouts to ensure fighters don’t harm themselves in cutting weight.
As a result, the fight was called off and the 27-year-old Di Bella had to vacate the title.
Di Bella won the vacant title in October 2022 via decision over (The Fighting Rooster) Zhang Peimian of China and defended the belt last October by winning a decision over Thai-Australian Danial Williams.
Prajancha was bidding for two-sport glory, given he already holds the One strawweight Muay Thai title.
Peacock entered the ring Friday wearing a cowboy hat.
Peacock fought his way onto the Bangkok card, winning the Road to One tournament to secure a US$100,000, six-fight contract with One Championship.
The main event of the “One Friday Fights 58: Superbon vs. Grigorian II” card pitted Thailand’s Superbon Singha Mawynn against Armenia’s Marat Grigorian for the One interim featherweight kickboxing world championship. Superbon, a former featherweight world champion, won a title defence by decision over Grigorian when they met in March 2022, only to lose his crown to Georgian-born Azerbaijiani-Belarusian Chingiz Allazov in January 2023.
One’s Muay Thai bouts feature three three-minute rounds (five rounds for a title bout) with fighters wearing four-ounce mixed martial arts gloves. Knockouts can be scored via punch, kick, knee, elbow or legal throw.
Peacock, who weighed in at 144.5 pounds, only wears one glove but uses his right arm to deliver elbows and other strikes.
(One’s kickboxing division allows for knockouts via punch, kick, or knee with fighters wearing boxing gloves).
Ranked 14th in the WBC world rankings at welterweight, Peacock is the current WBC Canadian welterweight champion and North American super-welterweight champion and former European super-welterweight title-holder.
Married with two kids, he is also the founder and head coach at Calgary’s Dunamis Gym.
Peacock has a sporting pedigree.
His father Gavin Peacock was a professional footballer for 18 years, playing for Queens Park Rangers, Chelsea and Newcastle United among other clubs. He turned to ministry after his playing career, moving to Canada where he is now an associate pastor at Calvary Grace Church of Calgary.
Born and raised in London, England, Jake was enrolled in martial arts at the age of seven to learn discipline and self-defence. After moving to Canada at 14, Peacock transitioned to full contact Kyokushin Karate, eventually moving to Muay Thai and kickboxing.
Peacock has one MMA fight under his belt, losing to Skye Folsom in June 2016 on a Hard Knocks Fighting Championship card in Calgary.
—
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2024.
