When Superbon Banchamek was growing up, he dreamed of becoming a champion fighter. As a boy, he trained with his father, who owns a Muay Thai kickboxing gym. His hard work and years of training have paid off. At press time, Superbon’s impressive fight record speaks for itself. He has competed in 147 fights, winning 113 of them — 27 of those wins by knockout.
Not surprisingly, Superbon has built a name for himself as a fighter and a loyal fanbase. But his fight career isn’t all he’s known for. Superbon has created a popular Instagram account for his pets, and it is there where he connects with an audience wider than his chosen profession. In addition to being a lifelong fan of combat sports, Superbon is also a lifelong animal lover.
“I had been raising animals ever since I was young,” he says. “During the times I was in Pattalung, I’ve had cats and birds as pets. After moving to Bangkok, I started to own monkeys and cats. They were with me in times of solitude.”
These days, Superbon shares his life with two male Bengal cats and four Marmoset monkeys, which are all visible on an Instagram account devoted especially to them. “Since I love animals, I also enjoy taking photos and videos of them,” he says.
Originally, he posted the occasional pet photo on his regular account, but decided these photos got lost in the mix of his fight pictures. “That’s the reason I’ve decided to create another account purposely for my pets.”
Now that the two halves of his life have individual accounts, his fans can follow whichever one they have the most interest in, or they can follow both. People often find it interesting that a champion fighter has devoted so much of his time to animals, and even documents his life with them. But many athletes, he says, are also fans of sharing their lives with animals.
“Many people think it’s adorable to own pets,” he says. “There are also many athletes who raise animals. It depends on what they want to have as pets. Pets can help me connect with new people. When I take them outside for a walk, I receive more interactions and introductions from the others.”
When the day comes for Superbon to retire from fighting, he still plans to devote his life to sports and animals. “If one day I were to stop fighting, I want to share my knowledge and experience with the new generation,” he says. He would love to own a Muay Thai gym, like his father and brother currently do.
He would also like to give more time to animals, and possibly assist in charity work that would benefit them. In the meantime, he continues to train, fight and post his adventures with his cats and monkeys to Instagram. “My pet’s IG has helped me to connect with fans who are animal lovers.”
Follow Superbon Banchamek, his Bengals and his monkeys on Instagram! @superbon_pet.