[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDTuFKqhafM"]Jean-Charles Skarbowski Muay Thai Highlight - YouTube[/ame] Ever since a friend of mine showed me a Youtube video of Skarbow I always thought he was one bad dude. It sucks that the only time he ever got recognition was years after his retirement (on The Ultimate Fighter with GSP/Koscheck). Look for the elbow KO, absolutely vicious. Powerful striking for a welterweight.
When he came onto the show I went .. Oooh. This is going to be fun. I remember the look on GSP's face when he introduced Jean Charles to the team, it was like "please dont kill the students"
I worked with him for some time. He was one of the fighters that we pushed for the Kings Cup 2005 WMC/S-1 fights when I was in the promotion side of the fight game. A very interesting guy.... a very awkward style of fighting. Many people weren't sure what to make of him... the rumors at the time in Bangkok fight circle was that many were ducking him because of his unorthodox style. He's pretty much as tough as they come. He ain't afraid of nothing. His mom used to come to the camps and watch. At that time he was training out of Jocky Gym in Bangkok - so was Kaoklai Kaengnorsing. Recently I saw a message from him on Facebook that he's giving seminars. I can remember when he first got all the ink on his back done prior to his fight here in Hong Kong with Buakaw. Not a great example that fight (much more a gentleman's agreement to put on a good show but no have a war). Yeah Skarbo always gets props from me. (FWIW - it's me on the ring apron shooting the fight at 3:09 in the vid) To give you an example of how tough he is.... he only lost to Wanlop Sitpholek in the 2005 S-1 fights... Sitpholek aside from being a genuine bad-ass was also the Thai mobs favored fighter went on to win the S-1 title belt! Skarbowsky had to fight two other fighters (Paolo Balicha and Nonthanun Por Pramuk) in the quarterfinals which took place the same evening before he fought Sitpholek!
