麻豆社国产locals can have a front seat to cheer on the homegrown talent at the 麻豆社国产Fight Night on March 29.
The event is a “sanctioned Muay Thai event” being hosted at Totem Hall.
Organized by, the event will feature local and regional fighters in what organizers hope will become “a recurring event.”
For Cole and Candace Smith, partners and co-owners of Roundhouse Martial Arts, this night is a long time coming.
“I’ve been in 麻豆社国产for 20 years, and when I started training in the sport here, there wasn’t much of a scene for it,” said Cole, a seasoned Mixed Martial Artist with over 30 professional fights to his name and years of experience in Muay Thai (pronounced MOO-ay TIE).
“It took time for it to grow, but now we have local athletes competing, and it only made sense to put on an event here.”
The idea, according to Candace, was to create a platform for 麻豆社国产fighters while also introducing the community to a sport that remains relatively unknown in Canada.
“We know there’s interest because people ask about it all the time,” she said.
“There’s never been anything like this in 麻豆社国产or the Sea to Sky Corridor. We thought, ‘Why wait for someone else to do it when we can make it happen ourselves?’”
‘Art of Eight Limbs’
Unlike boxing, which involves only punches, or kickboxing, which includes punches and kicks, Muay Thai incorporates punches, kicks, elbows, and knees.
“It’s called the ‘Art of Eight Limbs’ for a reason,” said Cole.
“With boxing, you’re looking out for someone’s hands. With kickboxing, you add their feet into the equation. With Muay Thai, you have to watch for punches, kicks, elbows, and knees. There’s a lot more to think about.”
While still growing in North America, Muay Thai is deeply ingrained in Thai culture, where children as young as five years old begin competing.
“In Thailand, fighters have 200 to 300 fights in their careers—it’s completely different from here,” Cole said. “The sport is only now starting to get real recognition in Canada, and we want 麻豆社国产to be part of that.”
The upcoming local event will be sanctioned by , which means fighters must adhere to strict amateur competition rules.
“We follow all the traditional regulations, including playing traditional Thai music during the fights,” Candace said. “It’s important that we respect the sport and keep it authentic.”
A mix of experience levels in the ring
The fight card will include 10 to 12 matchups featuring fighters of varying experience levels.
“We want the fights to be fair and competitive,” Cole said.
“Some fighters are just starting out, while others have five or more fights under their belts. We’re bringing in athletes from other gyms, and since I know the coaches personally, I can make sure the matchups are balanced.”
At the top of the card, the main event bouts will showcase fighters with more experience, competing without shin guards or headgear, per amateur Muay Thai regulations for athletes with five or more fights.
“We’re trying to get as many high-level matchups as we can,” Cole said. “The goal is to have exciting, well-matched fights across the board.”
Among the local athletes competing, Madison Skrypnek will make her MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) debut in Vancouver on Feb. 22 before stepping back into the ring at Fight Night.
Meanwhile, Ayden Collier will fight for a Muay Thai title that same night, making his return to 麻豆社国产as a potential champion.
“Ayden has only been training with us for a year, and now he’s fighting for a title,” Cole said. “It’s a huge opportunity for him, and we’re excited to see what he does.”
A fighter’s perspective
For Skrypnek, the event is a “full-circle moment.”
“It’s a huge deal,” she says. “I’ve been in 麻豆社国产for six years, and I’ve built a pretty big community here. To be able to fight in front of my peers and show them what all this hard work leads to—it means everything."
Skrypnek’s journey into combat sports started back in Calgary, Alberta, where she trained as a teenager.
After moving to Squamish, she stepped away from martial arts for several years—until a trip to Thailand reignited her passion for Muay Thai.
“I did a class while I was there, and I just fell in love with it all over again," she recalls. "When I came back to Squamish, Roundhouse had just opened—it felt like the stars aligned. I started training again, and I’ve been obsessed ever since.”
Since returning to the sport, Skrypnek has already fought twice, winning both matches by decision.
For her next challenge—on Feb. 22—she will make her amateur MMA debut in Vancouver, stepping into a cage for the first time.
“I think the challenge is what drives me,” she says. “Pushing my body and mind to the limits—it’s the hardest thing anyone can do, but that’s what makes it so rewarding.”
Her transition from Muay Thai to MMA has also meant steep learning curves, as she has had to incorporate wrestling and jiu-jitsu into her training.
“Muay Thai is all about striking—standing up and throwing punches, kicks, knees, and elbows,” she explains.
Future plans
When it came to choosing a venue for 麻豆社国产Fight Night, options were limited.
“麻豆社国产doesn’t have many places that can host an event like this,” Candace said. “Totem Hall was one of the few that could accommodate us, and they were really open to the idea.”
While the first event will focus on Muay Thai, Cole and Candace hope to expand in the future.
“We want to do this two or three times a year,” Candace said. “Eventually, we’d love to introduce boxing and MMA as well, but we’re starting here and seeing where it goes.”
The community response so far has been positive, with many people expressing interest in attending the event or getting involved in the sport.
“There’s a misconception that Muay Thai is just violence, but it’s a discipline, and it’s incredibly technical. Events like this help change that perception,” Cole said.
For Candace, the event is about more than just fights—it’s also about challenging stereotypes and growing the martial arts scene in Squamish.
“We have two female fighters on the card, and that’s really important,” she said.
“We want to show that martial arts isn’t just for one type of person. You can start from nothing and go far—some of our competitors only started training last year, and now they’re stepping into the ring.”
A long-term vision
While this first Fight Night won’t feature Indigenous fighters, Candace and Cole hope to increase Indigenous representation in future events.
“We have a strong Indigenous community in our gym, and we’d love to see them competing,” Candace said. “Especially since we’re hosting at Totem Hall, it would have been great to have that connection. Maybe next time.”
As they look ahead, the Smiths hope that 麻豆社国产Fight Night will become a regular fixture in the local sports scene.
“There’s not a lot going on [in Squamish] unless you’re into outdoor sports. We want to give people something new—something exciting,” Cole said.
Tickets go on sale Feb. 12 on Eventbrite. This is an 18+ event. For more information, visit
Bhagyashree Chatterjee is The 麻豆社国产's Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the.
