‘It Gives You That Extra Adrenaline’ – Inside Suriyanlek’s Heavy Metal Training Camp For The Inner Circle On May 29
Cue the distortion and crank the bass. Unlike some athletes who prefer to train to a steady metronome, Thai slugger Suriyanlek Por Yenying sharpens his deadly weapons to screaming guitars and pounding double pedals.
He returns to action in the spectacular headline attraction of The Inner Circle against Ramadan “The Scorpion” Ondash this Friday, May 29. Their highly anticipated flyweight Muay Thai battle and the rest of the blockbuster card will stream live in Asia primetime exclusively for subscribers on live.onefc.com from Bangkok’s revered Lumpinee Stadium.
Look at the man, and the picture practically writes itself — the shoulder-length hair, the compact 5-foot-3 frame packed to the brim with non-stop aggression. Suriyanlek does not just fight like a heavy metal song. He truly lives like one.
The 29-year-old’s deep love affair with the genre traces directly back to his current gym in Pathum Thani, Bangkok. Coach Moses Sangtiennoi, the head of Tor Sangtiennoi, has spent years using heavy metal as the ultimate soundtrack to his fighters’ sweat-soaked grind.
Before long, the intense rhythms crashing through the gym’s speakers started crashing through Suriyanlek’s head as well.
The Thai metalhead recalled:
“It all started with him. He always blasts heavy metal tracks during training sessions to get us hyped up. When I stumbled onto metal, I didn’t mind it at all.
“Metal music has this aggressive, heavy rhythm to it, so when it’s booming through the speakers, it gives you that extra adrenaline rush. It’s just a fun, high-energy genre to listen to.”
The hype-up music, however, was only the entry point. Coach Moses — son of the late legendary Muay Thai World Champion Sangtiennoi Sor Rungroj — had much bigger plans.
Somewhere between the shredding guitar riffs, the relentless double-pedal drum patterns, and the kind of heavy bass lines that literally vibrate through the canvas, the head coach saw a unique tool that could sharpen his fighters in ways no other music could.
Heavy metal was officially amped up from mere background noise into an essential teaching device.
Suriyanlek told onefc.com:
“Coach Moses actually integrated metal music into our boxing drills. It helps you push through difficult cardio sessions and also makes you throw your strikes with way more power, flowing right with the beat.
“My punch combinations sync up perfectly with the bass lines and drum beats of the song. It’s an incredible way to practice throwing continuous, high-volume combinations.”
What started as a hype-up genre and quickly evolved into a training instrument occasionally pulls Suriyanlek out of the gym entirely.
Whenever his grueling schedule allows, the Thai standout hits a live metal concert — the kind of chaotic night where the speakers stack 10 feet tall and the floor physically shakes under thousands of stomping feet.
The electric aura certainly lights him up. The mosh pit, however, is an entirely different riff.
He explained:
“The atmosphere at a metal show is insane and wild. But I don’t actually jump into the middle of the mosh pit to crash into people. I usually just stay on the outer edge, head-banging and jumping around.
“I do my own thing, and honestly, nobody ever dares to get too close to me. Coach Moses came with me once, and he wouldn’t get into the mosh pit either. I don’t know if he was afraid of catching a stray punch from me or what, but man, even from the edges, it’s a blast.”
Suriyanlek Spreads The Heavy Metal Gospel
The live concert nights may be few and far between, but his profound love affair with the music never cools. Heavy metal continues to pulse through Suriyanlek’s intense training camps and his overall outlook on what music can actually do for a person willing to give it a real shot.
As such, the Thai metalhead has a direct message for anyone who has ever dismissed the genre without giving it a proper spin. Drop the assumptions. Hit play. Crank the volume. And simply let the heavy riffs do what they do best.
Suriyanlek shared:
“I’d tell everyone to step outside their comfort zone and try listening to something completely different.
“Give heavy metal a shot. There is a unique, thrilling energy hidden in it. If you blast it while working out or when you need a serious motivation boost, I guarantee it’ll give you the extra fire to push through anything.”
Suriyanlek’s personal playlist spans both Thai and international acts, though his deepest musical loyalty plays out on home soil.
One specific band sits at the very top of his list — a Bangkok-based outfit whose heavy nu-metal rhythms and adversity-driven lyrics have perhaps played a massive role in every single one of his 11 electrifying victories on the global stage.
The Tor Sangtiennoi standout concluded:
“I mix it up. I listen to both foreign and Thai bands. Though with the international bands, I just listen to the music for the vibe. I don’t really know the band names or song titles.
“For Thai bands, my absolute favorite is Ebola. Their music is incredibly heavy and satisfying, and their lyrics are always about fighting through adversity. My favorite track by them is called Survivor.”
