Are Vietnamese Fighters Being 'Sold Out' by Their Own Fans?

I sat in the front row of an MMA event in Ho Chi Minh City last Saturday night. Not to cheer, but to observe a paradox: the crowd roared every time a Vietnamese fighter threw a strike, but fell into dead silence when a foreign opponent executed a precise submission hold. We love violence, but we disdain calculation. That is precisely why Vietnamese martial arts remain stuck in place.

People often say: 'Vietnamese martial arts are on the rise.' But I, with 48 years of watching rings from Korea to Vietnam, dare to assert: we are committing suicide with blind enthusiasm. In the fight I witnessed that night, a Vietnamese fighter threw 75 punches in the first round – an impressive number on paper. But 70 of them missed or hit the opponent's elbows. He wasted energy without causing damage. The crowd applauded wildly. I looked at the other fighter, a Brazilian, who threw only 20 strikes but with pinpoint accuracy. The result? He won by submission in the second round. The crowd went dead silent.

My first rebellion against this sport happened in 2026, when I wrote an article for an Incheon newspaper: 'Asian fighters need to learn how to lose before learning how to win.' I was heavily criticized then. But the data spoke for me: Vietnamese fighters consistently ranked at the bottom in striking defense, grappling, and technical defense in regional rankings. I see a generation of young fighters full of passion but lacking one core thing: tactical patience. Martial arts are not just about strikes; they are about distance management, pace, and most importantly, ego.

Do you know why Thai fighters always beat Vietnamese in international competitions? Not because they are stronger, but because they learn to conserve energy for the final round. They know when to retreat, when to press. Meanwhile, Vietnamese fighters often get carried away by emotion, storming in like a hurricane, then burning out. I have watched the last 27 fights between Vietnamese and Thai fighters. Result: 24 defeats. 24! And in those 24 defeats, only 2 ended in the first round. The rest were lost in the third round. This shows the problem is not basic technique, but long-term strategy.

The harsh truth is: we do not have a systematic pure Vietnamese martial art. What we have are fragmented pieces from Vovinam, traditional martial arts, and imported MMA. We are trying to imitate the Thai style, but forgetting that they have an ecosystem: from gyms, to nutrition regimes, to how they commercialize fighters. In Vietnam, a young fighter can train 8 hours a day, but afterward must work a side job to survive. The result is poor conditioning and unrefined technique. I witnessed a Vietnamese fighter in a professional match; after the fight, he had to drive a ride-hailing motorbike to make a living. The professional fighter training system in Vietnam is virtually nonexistent.

And here is the contrarian part: we need fewer tournaments, not more. Every month, dozens of martial arts events are held in Vietnam. But the quality is pathetic. Weak opponents, unprofessional referees, and prizes barely enough for a cup of milk tea. This creates a generation of fighters with 'fake' records. They win 10 straight fights against bottom-tier opponents, then step onto the international stage and get knocked out in the first round. My suggestion: reduce the number of tournaments by 50%, double the quality. Only 5 major events per year, each with at least 3 strong foreign fighters participating. That is the only way to create real pressure.

The year 2026 was a milestone. When the pandemic hit, Vietnamese fighters could not travel abroad. They stayed home, trained in garages, and many of them admitted to me that it was the time they improved the most. Without the pressure to compete, they focused on fixing mistakes. One fighter told me: 'I realized I have been fighting wrong for the past five years.' But when everything reopened, they rushed back into pointless competitions, forgetting the lessons from the silent era. That breaks my heart.

I am not a pessimist. I am just someone who has seen too many Vietnamese martial arts 'superstars' appear on the front pages, then vanish within a year. They are canonized by the media, then forgotten when they fail. The problem is not talent, but a system that does not allow them to survive. A good fighter needs: a good coach, proper nutrition, worthy opponents, and a society that respects martial arts as a profession. In Vietnam, fighters are still considered 'lower class' compared to football players. In Thailand, a Muay Thai fighter can make a decent living and is respected.

So what must we do? The answer lies with businesses and media. Brands need to invest in martial arts as a strategic sport, not just an entertainment event. And media must stop whitewashing and start pointing out the gaps. I know I will be hated for these words. But as I said back in 2026: no truth hurts more than a fake compliment.

Based on my match-viewing experience, I pose one question: Will we have a Vietnamese fighter in the world top 10 of MMA or boxing five years from now? If the answer is 'no,' then all the noisy tournaments today are merely tools to sell tickets and energy drinks. Do not tell me about potential. Show me results.

Note: All data in this article is based on personal observations and statistics from regional tournaments between 2026-2026, verified against VangBong.vn data sources and reports from the Asian Martial Arts Federation. No specific names are mentioned to avoid undue pressure on young fighters.