By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

DC Pratt more than justified his decision to train half way around the world when he won his eagerly anticipated professional Muay Thai debut last weekend.

Pratt won by decision in his bout on the undercard of a Lamnammoon Sor Sumalee promotion in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

Described as one of the “bigger shows in the province,” Pratt took the decision in the five-round bout, his first time in the ring as a professional and since his last amateur bout in October 2013 when he claimed the IKF East Coast Championship.

“It was my first fight since I won the belt back in October in South Carolina and my pro debut at the same time so there was a lot of adjustments to be made,” Pratt said.

“At the professional level there are more rounds and longer rounds. Amateur fighting is three two-minute rounds whereas at the pro level it’s five three-minute rounds, so you have to pace yourself. Also there are more risks at the pro level because there are elbows which are allowed and can cut you, there are knees which are also allowed and kicks are bone on bone without the shin padding.”

Pratt is in the midst of an intense three-month session in Thailand, training under renowned Muay Thai fighter and coach Lamnamoon Sor Sumalee.

He said the training has been an integral part of his adjustment to professional fighting and has paid immediate dividends.

“The training here in Thailand has had a major difference. I was able to tell in the ring. I’m in better shape, there’s more focus on my technique and I have been able to pick up on many tricks and techniques that you normally would not see foreign fighters using. All my training partners are active pro fighters so I get a new opportunity to become sharper everyday. I am training twice a day, three hours per session for six days a week. There are no distractions here on the countryside, no one speaks English, I can’t party, so it’s literally eat, sleep and train everyday.”

After a more conservative start in the opening rounds, Pratt connected on a series of combinations in the third to take control of the fight.

“The third round is when I wanted to knock him out so that was what I was focusing on when the bell sounded. I came out aggressive and I just wanted to maintain that,” he said.

“Knees and kicks score more in Thailand so you have to make an effort to attack with the lower body and not just rely on striking.”

He noted that his second professional fight in Thailand should take place in just under two weeks.

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, for two years before he moved back to the Bahamas, Pratt fought to a 3-1-1 amateur record since he made his Muay Thai debut in 2012.

He opened the Bangkok Fight Night Atlanta Grand Prix event with a split decision over Clint Blizzard in the 160-pound weight class in that debut.

Most recently, he won the IKF East Coast Championship in October 2013.

Disillusioned with frequent fight cancellations along with the struggle to find adequate bouts and training, he chose to relocate to the mecca of Muay Thai fighting.

“There were a lot of reasons I decided to go to Thailand, one of the main ones were that fights were falling through in the United States. I started to get frustrated and I didn’t want to be in the US just training, I wanted to be actively competing,” he said.