鈥擴pdate: April 6鈥�
Squamish Fight Night on March 29, was a hit, according to organizers, with 400 people in attendance at Totem Hall.
This was the first such event for local gym.
鈥淲e had 10 fights, 20 fighters, and a few local Squamish businesses sponsoring the event. Out of our six Squamish fighters, three of them came away with the win, and one fighter with a draw,鈥� said the gym鈥檚 Candace Smith.
鈥淚t was a large success for the community, and we are so happy to be able to put on a great show for Squamish.鈥�
Here are the full results:
鈥incoln McCardle vs. Kevin Seyforth = Lincoln McCardle won
鈥adison Skrypnek vs. Daniela Dimitras = Madison Skrypnek won
鈥anner Hewitt vs. Mo Kianford = Tanner Hewitt won
鈥yden Collier vs. Gais Benaliouat = Draw
鈥eamus Loughran vs. Prav Sandhu = Prav Sandhu won
鈥aura Jefferson vs. Cristy Fernando = Cristy Fernando won
鈥擮riginal story鈥�
Squamish locals can have a front seat to cheer on the homegrown talent at the Squamish Fight Night on March 29.
The event is a 鈥渟anctioned Muay Thai event鈥� being hosted at Totem Hall.
Organized by, the event will feature local and regional fighters in what organizers hope will become 鈥渁 recurring event.鈥�
For Cole and Candace Smith, partners and co-owners of Roundhouse Martial Arts, this night is a long time coming.
鈥淚鈥檝e been in Squamish for 20 years, and when I started training in the sport here, there wasn鈥檛 much of a scene for it,鈥� said Cole, a seasoned Mixed Martial Artist with over 30 professional fights to his name and years of experience in Muay Thai (pronounced MOO-ay TIE).
鈥淚t took time for it to grow, but now we have local athletes competing, and it only made sense to put on an event here.鈥�
The idea, according to Candace, was to create a platform for Squamish fighters while also introducing the community to a sport that remains relatively unknown in Canada.
鈥淲e know there鈥檚 interest because people ask about it all the time,鈥� she said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 never been anything like this in Squamish or the Sea to Sky Corridor. We thought, 鈥榃hy wait for someone else to do it when we can make it happen ourselves?鈥欌��
鈥楢rt of Eight Limbs鈥�
Unlike boxing, which involves only punches, or kickboxing, which includes punches and kicks, Muay Thai incorporates punches, kicks, elbows, and knees.
鈥淚t鈥檚 called the 鈥楢rt of Eight Limbs鈥� for a reason,鈥� said Cole.
鈥淲ith boxing, you鈥檙e looking out for someone鈥檚 hands. With kickboxing, you add their feet into the equation. With Muay Thai, you have to watch for punches, kicks, elbows, and knees. There鈥檚 a lot more to think about.鈥�
While still growing in North America, Muay Thai is deeply ingrained in Thai culture, where children as young as five years old begin competing.
鈥淚n Thailand, fighters have 200 to 300 fights in their careers鈥攊t鈥檚 completely different from here,鈥� Cole said. 鈥淭he sport is only now starting to get real recognition in Canada, and we want Squamish to be part of that.鈥�
The upcoming local event will be sanctioned by , which means fighters must adhere to strict amateur competition rules.
鈥淲e follow all the traditional regulations, including playing traditional Thai music during the fights,鈥� Candace said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we respect the sport and keep it authentic.鈥�
A mix of experience levels in the ring
The fight card will include 10 to 12 matchups featuring fighters of varying experience levels.
鈥淲e want the fights to be fair and competitive,鈥� Cole said.
鈥淪ome fighters are just starting out, while others have five or more fights under their belts. We鈥檙e bringing in athletes from other gyms, and since I know the coaches personally, I can make sure the matchups are balanced.鈥�
At the top of the card, the main event bouts will showcase fighters with more experience, competing without shin guards or headgear, per amateur Muay Thai regulations for athletes with five or more fights.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to get as many high-level matchups as we can,鈥� Cole said. 鈥淭he goal is to have exciting, well-matched fights across the board.鈥�
Among the local athletes competing, Madison Skrypnek will make her MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) debut in Vancouver on Feb. 22 before stepping back into the ring at Fight Night.
Meanwhile, Ayden Collier will fight for a Muay Thai title that same night, making his return to Squamish as a potential champion.
鈥淎yden has only been training with us for a year, and now he鈥檚 fighting for a title,鈥� Cole said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge opportunity for him, and we鈥檙e excited to see what he does.鈥�
A fighter鈥檚 perspective
For Skrypnek, the event is a 鈥渇ull-circle moment.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge deal,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檝e been in Squamish for six years, and I鈥檝e built a pretty big community here. To be able to fight in front of my peers and show them what all this hard work leads to鈥攊t means everything."
Skrypnek鈥檚 journey into combat sports started back in Calgary, Alberta, where she trained as a teenager.
After moving to Squamish, she stepped away from martial arts for several years鈥攗ntil a trip to Thailand reignited her passion for Muay Thai.
鈥淚 did a class while I was there, and I just fell in love with it all over again," she recalls. "When I came back to Squamish, Roundhouse had just opened鈥攊t felt like the stars aligned. I started training again, and I鈥檝e been obsessed ever since.鈥�
Since returning to the sport, Skrypnek has already fought twice, winning both matches by decision.
Future plans
When it came to choosing a venue for Squamish Fight Night, options were limited.
鈥淪quamish doesn鈥檛 have many places that can host an event like this,鈥� Candace said. 鈥淭otem Hall was one of the few that could accommodate us, and they were really open to the idea.鈥�
While the first event will focus on Muay Thai, Cole and Candace hope to expand in the future.
鈥淲e want to do this two or three times a year,鈥� Candace said. 鈥淓ventually, we鈥檇 love to introduce boxing and MMA as well, but we鈥檙e starting here and seeing where it goes.鈥�
The community response so far has been positive, with many people expressing interest in attending the event or getting involved in the sport.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a misconception that Muay Thai is just violence, but it鈥檚 a discipline, and it鈥檚 incredibly technical. Events like this help change that perception,鈥� Cole said.
For Candace, the event is about more than just fights鈥攊t鈥檚 also about challenging stereotypes and growing the martial arts scene in Squamish.
鈥淲e have two female fighters on the card, and that鈥檚 really important,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e want to show that martial arts isn鈥檛 just for one type of person. You can start from nothing and go far鈥攕ome of our competitors only started training last year, and now they鈥檙e stepping into the ring.鈥�
A long-term vision
While this first Fight Night won鈥檛 feature Indigenous fighters, Candace and Cole hope to increase Indigenous representation in future events.
鈥淲e have a strong Indigenous community in our gym, and we鈥檇 love to see them competing,鈥� Candace said. 鈥淓specially since we鈥檙e hosting at Totem Hall, it would have been great to have that connection. Maybe next time.鈥�
As they look ahead, the Smiths hope that Squamish Fight Night will become a regular fixture in the local sports scene.
鈥淭here鈥檚 not a lot going on [in Squamish] unless you鈥檙e into outdoor sports. We want to give people something new鈥攕omething exciting,鈥� Cole said.
. This is an 18+ event. For more information, visit
Bhagyashree Chatterjee is The 劲爆大瓜's Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the.
