UFC vet, AKA Thailand boss Mike Swick set to call muay Thai on UFC Fight Pass

“The Ultimate Fighter 1” cast member and 15-time UFC veteran Mike Swick is coming to UFC Fight Pass.

The AKA Thailand boss has joined the broadcast team of Absolute Muay Thai and will now be featured regularly on the promotions’ broadcasts on UFC Fight Pass beginning with Thursday’s “Absolute Muay Thai 61: Battle of Jitmueangnon” event from Rajadamnern Stadium in Bangkok.

“That’s a dream for me,” Swick told MMA Junkie. “Coming to Thailand for 20 years as a kid in these little gyms, to now be commentating live on UFC Fight Pass at the most famous stadium for combat sports, culturally, in the world – it’s great. It’s great to be involved with all these people and all these things. For a fighter, this is kind of where it’s at post-career.

A longtime member of the American Kickboxing Academy family, “Quick” Swick (15-6) competed as a light heavyweight on the debut season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” He then fought six times for the promotion as a middleweight, winning his first four official UFC appearances via first-round stoppage. Following a decision loss to the massive Yushin Okami in 2007, Swick then dropped down to welterweight, where he finished his career.

In 2009, Swick came within one fight of a title shot, but he suffered a decision loss to Dan Hardy, who would go on to face Georges St-Pierre. Swick last competed in the octagon in 2015.

Now 40, Swick is the owner of AKA Thailand in Phuket, where he oversees a staff of nearly 60 employees. However, Thursday’s event marks the veteran’s first time broadcasting Thailand’s national sport, and he said he’s excited for the opportunity.

“It’s live on Fight Pass, so if I mess up, you can laugh at me or whatever,” Swick joked. “It’s a dream for me, so you’re just going to see a man whose spent his whole career fighting for everything. … This is a giddy moment for me to be doing this commentary, and it’s the start of some big things to come, so tune in to Fight Pass, Feb. 27.

“It’s Rajadamnern. It’s the best stadium in Thailand. It’s been around for 75 years. It’s like Madison Square Garden, if the NBA and the NFL and everything was combined into one sport, and it only happened at Madison Square Garden, and that was the ultimate place – and that still doesn’t compare to how important Rajadamnern is as far as in combat sports and in muay Thai and in Thailand. You’ll see some exciting fights. It’s a great production, so definitely tune in.”

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