Josh Wingate

This past week I stepped into the ring at the US Muay Thai Open in Mesa, Arizona.

The adrenaline was real.
The fear was real.
The nerves and the what-ifs were loud.

But beneath all of it was a quieter voice saying,
You’ve trained. You’ve visualized. You’re ready. This is your moment.

“Fight.”

Round 1 started with sharp jabs and immediate respect. We both knew quickly this wasn’t going to be easy. I landed solid punches and knees… and he answered right back. His left hand caught me clean more than once. This was a battle. My opponent was tough!

Round 2 felt like a mirror of the first — even exchanges, hard shots, clinches. I landed a clean head kick that didn’t slow him at all. Meanwhile adrenaline fatigue hit like a truck. Heavy legs. Groggy head. Short breath. All that conditioning and I felt like I was drowning.

Back in the corner I didn’t want to be there anymore. The loud voices came rushing back.

My coach Sean looked me dead in the eyes and said,
“Kick him in the f***ing face.”

No technical advice. No strategy. Just a reminder.
The day before I told the team I was going to front kick my opponent in the face. Sean laughed and said do it. Tiger Lily .bebe said she’d give me a dollar if I did.

And in that moment… something switched on. Fire. Focus. Spirit.

Round 3.
Glove touch.
I switched stance, threw a feint, saw the path open.

Snap.

Front kick landed clean on the chin. Blood started pouring. He charged forward like he had all fight, but the ref stepped in.

Standing in the neutral corner, I didn’t even realize it was over until the ref called us back to the center of the ring, holding the belt.

“The winner from the blue corner, Josh Wingate!”

It wasn’t easy. It was earned.
Black eye. Swollen jaw. Bruised foot. Full Spirit.