Bampara Kouyate on the similarities between Muay Thai and the catwalk: “I’m an artist”

Bampara Kouyate | Photo by ONE Championship
Bampara Kouyate | Photo by ONE Championship

Second-ranked ONE featherweight Muay Thai contender Bampara Kouyate of Mali and France perfectly juggles his careers as an elite striker and professional model.

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According to ‘Bambi’, while his chosen fields couldn’t be more different from each other, they both require a common artistic foundation.

In a ONE Championship interview, the Team Mehdi Zatout ward reflected on his dual roles in the ring and the catwalk:

"It's extremely different things, but the main part is art. For me, I see the artistic part from fashion and from Muay Thai. For me, it's just art, and I'm an artist. I'm like a painter. Every hit is a brush stroke. And when I catwalk, it's the same. I try to be as handsome as I can, to represent the clothes that I wear."
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Bampara Kouyate's unique lifestyle sees him splitting time between training camps and fashion shoots.

The demands of both worlds could be overwhelming at times, but the 29-year-old has managed to excel seamlessly.

Now, the WMC European Muay Thai Champion will look to take his fighting career to new heights at ONE Fight Night 36 on Prime Video, streaming live and free for North American subscribers on September 5.

‘Bambi’ will cross swords with the dangerous No. 3-ranked Shadow Singha Mawynn in a possible featherweight Muay Thai world title eliminator inside the fabled Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Bampara Kouyate grateful to earn a living from doing what he loves

While modeling is something Bampara Kouyate thoroughly enjoys, his heart will always belong to 'The Art of Eight Limbs'.

'Bambi's undying passion for Muay Thai burns as bright as ever after notching back-to-back highlight reel knockouts on the global stage against tough opponents Luke Lessei and Jo Nattawut.

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For Kouyate, fighting for a living is a blessing he will never take for granted. He told ONE:

"This feeling for me, it's just amazing. To do something that I love, and get money for it — that's just amazing. I'm just very grateful to life, and I love it."

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Edited by Saiyed Adeem Karim
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