Ahipene to take on the world's best

Ashleigh Ahipene (centre) with the trainers at Krudam Gym

Champion Muay Thai kickboxer Ashleigh Ahipene will compete for the fifth time at the Royal World Cup in Thailand, and this time she wants a gold medal to add to her collection.

The World Cup is a big deal, with some 3000 competitors from more than 100 countries, a tournament where she's come away with silver and bronze in past years.

"This will put me back on top, fighting with the best of the best in the world. It's such a privilege to fight at these tournaments."

It's held in the National Stadium in the Thai capital Bangkok where she could have up to five fights over a nine day period leading into the finals.

But Ahipene is ready and has put in the work, training hard for at least six months ahead of the World Cup out of her local - the Dannevirke Bulldogs Gym.

She'll be fighting in the 45kg-48kg weight division, and had to drop about 5kg to make fight weight.

This year she's arrived in Thailand two weeks early for some vital preparation at two different training camps at the Krudam and Sasiprapa Gyms, both authentic Muay Thai gyms.

There she will be immersed in Muay Thai training culture to help polish her fighting technique and get her mind ready to take on the world's best fighters.

"Going over early will help me acclimatise and get used to the heat, de-stress and allow me to focus 100 per cent on my training and preparing myself for the tournament," says Ahipene.

At only 24-years-old Ahipene is a veteran fighter, who has been fighting pretty much since she could walk, a career that spans almost 20 years in the fight game.

She is the current WMCNZ (World Muay Thai Council New Zealand) Lightweight holder and Defending champion of the WMCNZ Bantamweight title.

Ever since her first visit to Thailand in 2007 it has held a special place in her heart, "it's good to be going back to the motherland of Muay Thai."

Ahipene will spend a total of 35 days in Thailand, with the single biggest sporting event in Thailand which begins on the 12th August and ends on the 23rd of August. Ahipene hails from Dannevirke - Kahungunu ki Tamaki Nui a Rua, and she's pleased to represent her whanau, hapu and iwi as she goes abroad.