Knocking Out Opponents Like Drain Punch Knocks Out Clogs
What’s as tough as Drain Punch on a clog? Manny Fernandez, aka Drain Punch Manny!
Who Is Drain Punch Manny?
Manny is an amateur fighter… for now. He won a bronze medal at the IFMA (International Federation of Muaythai Associations) World Senior Championship in Patras, Greece this past June, a huge accomplishment. Earlier, in March, he also won the WMO (World Muaythai Organization) Pro Am World Title. Manny may be an amateur, but all of his opponents in both tournaments were professional fighters, which means he can take on the best in the world!
Manny was selected to represent the United States at the IFMA World Championship after winning a gold medal at the USA Muaythai Grand Nationals in Delaware this past April. He had two tough opponents, but he Drain Punched them and secured his spot!
“Drain Punched”?
Drain Punch Carl is Manny’s biggest sponsor, and a lifelong family friend. A few years ago, Carl was watching one of Manny’s fights in New Orleans. The opponent came off the ropes, Manny clocked him with a right, and he went down! That’s when Carl said, “Dern, Manny, you Drain Punched that dude!”
The rest is history, and Manny has been Drain Punching his opponents ever since. In fact, he secured his gold medal in Delaware after knocking out his opponent in just thirty seconds!
Speaking of History…
The youngest of three children, Manny grew up on a farm in Topping, Virginia. He was an athlete in high school, competing in both wrestling and track and field, but didn’t start fighting competitively until after he graduated.
Drain Punch Carl has always been a fan of boxing and martial arts, and he’s known Manny for Manny’s entire life. Carl supported Manny by attending his fights and helping him with travel expenses before becoming his first, and most important, sponsor.
Manny had his first Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight at the age of 18, signing up because he was looking for… something. Besides wrestling in high school, he taught himself how to do a side kick, so he felt ready to give MMA a try. Turns out he was right – he won his very first fight!
Manny started to train for MMA in earnest, fought for about a year… and then the pandemic hit.
For six or seven months, Manny was unable to train. His coach went out of business, so when restrictions eased up, Manny was looking for a new trainer.
He stumbled across East Side Muay Thai in Virginia Beach where he met his current trainer, Jose Aguirre. He hasn’t looked back!
It turns out Muay Thai was the perfect fit for Manny. He prefers striking to grappling, so this art is perfect for showcasing his striking skills. He also enjoys the tournament setting – he can rack up fights and experience in a short period of time.
Muay Thai comes with a culture that emphasizes respect. This suits Manny much better than MMA. He may be a skilled fighter, but he is also very humble and very respectful. He likes how opponents show respect for each other after the fight and show respect for each other’s coaches. He also appreciates how respectful the audience tends to be at his Muay Thai matches.
Manny views his victories with gratitude, and speaks respectfully of past opponents – even if he did Drain Punch them!
Check out Manny’s interview with Drain Punch Carl on YouTube.
Looking Ahead … So, what’s next for this remarkable young man? Manny is hoping to go pro within the next 6-7 months, and every tournament and every victory gets him closer to his goal. The next opportunity to cheer for Manny will be from September 28th to 29th, when he will be fighting for the Pan American Title at the Muaythai Pan Am Championships in Ottawa, Canada.
Support Manny!
Curious to see what Drain Punch Manny will do next? You can support him by following him on his Instagram, where his tag is @mma.nny.