Jake Peacock made a bit of history at ONE Friday Fights 58 last week as he became the first ever limb-different fighter to compete for the promotion, and only having one hand didn’t stop the Englishman from beating Kohei Shinjo comfortably.
Peacock’s father Gavin played football for English Premier League sides Chelsea and Newcastle United, among other teams, while his grandfather Keith made more than 500 appearances for Charlton Athletic.
Football seemed the obvious route but he decided to pursue a different sporting passion.
“My grandad and my dad kicked balls for a living and I kick people in the head for a living,” Peacock said. “I played football but I wasn’t good enough to turn pro, so I decided to stick to martial arts because that was what I was really good at, and I went from there.”
Though he was born with only one arm, Peacock didn’t let that stop him punishing Shinjo for three rounds, with a barrage of kicks and left-handed punches leaving the Japanese fighter bleeding profusely by the end of the fight.
Being unable to punch or block with his missing right hand clearly puts Peacock at a disadvantage but he has never seen things that way.
“I’ve never known any different so to me it’s the same. I never put a ceiling on myself,” he said. “I’ve never doubted myself. The sky’s the limit for me.”
After last Friday’s fight, Chatri Sityodtong had been reluctant to sign Peacock. The ONE Championship CEO felt the decision to proceed was vindicated by the Englishman’s performance.
“I was very hesitant about bringing him in, because I would hate to see him knocked out because he only has one arm, but he proved a lot of naysayers wrong,” he said. “He’s an inspiration.”
Peacock was not given this opportunity on a plate. He won a Road to ONE tournament in his adopted home of Canada and has won all but one of his professional fights to date.
“I proved myself [to get into ONE Championship], I was 12-1 and I knocked out 11 people,” he said. “I’m going to put on a show every time I fight.”
This was Peacock’s first time competing in Thailand. The fans at Lumpinee Stadium had clearly never seen a limb-different fighter step into this ring before, and gave him a rousing reception.
He spent a few days training at the famous PKSaenchai Gym in Bangkok while preparing for this fight and Peacock clearly enjoyed the experience.
“I ended up coming down a little bit early to acclimatise and they really looked after me,” he said. “It’s a quality gym, so I’ll probably go back there. It’s my first time fighting in Thailand. The people are amazing and the fans are amazing.”
There are far greater challenges out there in the bantamweight division with elite Muay Thai practitioners like Superlek Kiatmoo9, Nong-O Gaiyanghadao, Nico Carrillo and champion Jonathan Haggerty, but Peacock is ready for anyone.
“I’m not really into calling out names,” he said. “One challenge at a time, but I’ve never turned down a fight.”
The Peacock family name will always be synonymous with football. The 30-year-old is on a very different sporting path but appears to have already established himself as a fan favourite in Thailand where fans will be eagerly anticipating to his next ONE Championship appearance.