25-year-old Jonathan Tuhu is a Papua New Guinean Muay Thai Kickboxer who fights in the 66 to 69.5 kg category.
This young man turned heads during his fight in Australia in 2014, where he knocked out his Indonesian opponent.
The win secured his ticket to Thailand, the birthplace of Muay Thai Kickboxing.
Tuhu was interested in martial arts as a kid, and by 1999, he was already doing backyard Karate and Taekwondo training.
Though he never really fought in a competition until 2007, at the age of 14, Tuhu took part in Karate at the PNG Games in Lae.
For a first time fighter, he finished well in the semi-finals.
In 2012, he transitioned from Karate to Muay Thai Kick Boxing.
It literally translates to “Thai boxing” and is often referred to as the “science of eight limbs.”
The eight limbs refer to the weapons allowed.
Unlike ordinary kickboxing, Muay Thai permits strikes with the knees and the elbows, as well as punches and kicks.
With ever growing anticipation to try out Muay Thai, his first international fight came in 2013 in The Rest of the World vs PNG Competition, organized by Stanley Nandex.
The then 20-year-old, fought and defeated Indonesia’s Alpha Tabagus, and secured himself the World Kickboxing Federation Inter-Continental Title.
By 2014, Tuhu turned heads when he developed and utilized knock out kicks that sent most of his opponents to the floor.
His fight in Newcastle displayed his strength in the art.
By 2015, he was given a spot in one of Thailand’s top team Muay Thai gyms, The Phuka Top Team – Mixed Martial Arts training camp.
And these days, he goes by the stage name, Black and Gold Kazagam.
His last fight was in Beirut, against a Jordanian opponent, in which he lost by way of points.
For now he is in the country sorting out personal matters, and then will resume training in Thailand in three months’ time.
