By Larsenator

His style is very authentic and overall Vintila is a very versatile fighter. Please read on to explore the exciting world of the 'Romanian Sensation'!

Larsenator: Florin my man – what’s up?

Vintila: Hi Thomas. Everything is good around here. I just got back into serious training again but I am also very busy with an upcoming Thaiboxing promotion which I am doing here in Portugal on March 12th. Because of my event I will not be fighting on the SuperLeague Paris card but I want to come back real soon even stronger than in my last fight.

Perfect timing by the Romanian!

Larsenator: Wouw man – you are a busy man!
You just beat Foad the ‘Pit Bull’ Sadeghi in Hungary after loosing your debut fight against Fadi Merza. How does it feel to be the winner on a SuperLeague show?

Vintila: I trained very hard for my debut in SuperLeague and I think I was doing pretty well until suddenly I felt something like a contraction in my knee ligaments. This happened in the first round but I started to feel it really bad in the second round so I wanted to finish the fight as I felt I couldn’t continue until the end. Fadi is not easy to finish and he took good advantage of my injury and eventually I had to stop.
For the fight against Foad Sadeghi I trained really hard in Holland and I think and hope that the fight please the spectators as Foad is also a very strong and aggressive fighter.

Larsenator: Yeah it was a fantastic fight mate. Now Florin you are quite new to the SuperLeague events. Could you please tell the fans who you are?

Vintila: OK. Well I was born in Romania in Ploiesti but on my 17^th birthday I left for Portugal where I am still living. Here I have my own gym and my own team called Top Team Portugal. Actually I think that I am responsible for bringing Thai boxing to the region where I live – the region is Algarve.
When my busy fight schedule allows me to I promote my own shows but my true passion is fighting. I was the first Romanian who became the professional European champion and today being in SuperLeague makes me very happy.

Larsenator: Fantastic and could you please enlighten the fans about the camp you train at?

Vintila: Normally I train at my own gym (Clube Desportivo Areias S.J) in Albufeira but I often go to the big and good gyms around Europe. I have been to Phoenix Gym in France and Friends Gym in Holland. Both camps have really famous fighters: Phoenix has Farid Villaume and Friends Gym has Albert Kraus and Aalviar Lima. I really enjoyed staying at both camps. They have two different styles and I try to get the best from both styles.

Larsenator: Excellent mate. Now let’s go way back in time and talk about your start in Muaythai. What got you started?

The 'Pit Bull' getting tagged!

Vintila: I did boxing in Romania but nothing serious. After that I did some karate, Capoeira and kickboxing. When I arrived in Portugal I started training Muaythai and I had my first fight after two months. I used to fight guys who were bigger than me in the beginning. I won all my fights and I simply started to like it.
I also fight in boing, full contact and MMA and I have been the Portuguese champion in IVT (editor’s note: International Vale Tudo). The biggest experience for me was still when I was called one week prior to the Kings’ Birthday in Thailand and asked if I could fight. I fought a very experienced fighter from Jockey Gym (editor’s note: the gym where Kaoklai Kaenorasing trains). I lost on points but I almost knocked him out and this really made me fall in love with Muaythai. In less than one year after this I became the Portuguese Muaythai champion and then the European champion.
One of the biggest moments in my life was returning to Romania and fighting there for the first time in eight years. I defended my title against Yury Bulat from Belarus. Today I am very proud of flying the Romanian flag in SuperLeague.

Larsenator: What is it that you like about Thai boxing?

Vintila: I think it is the most complete striking style and you have so many options to attack: kicks, knees, elbows and fists. But I also like the SuperLeague rules because you must keep working continuously as the clinch is shortened.

Larsenator: Cool. And did you ever fight in Thailand?

Vintila: As mentioned earlier I fought there on the King’s Birthday. The last time I was in Thailand it was for one month of training in Ubon Ratchachani at camp Legacy Gym which is run by my good friend Ole Baguio Laursen from Denmark. I also went to the Pingsingchai Camp in Bangkok and I loved training at both camps and I just love Thailand overall. I want to go back this year for another month.

Larsenator: What are your ambitions in the sport?

Vintila: I want to fight as good as I possibly can and to continue developing to reach the highest level proving to the world that there are good fighters in Romania.
When I stop fighting I will definitely continue in the sport and I would like to train other fighters.

Larsenator: How did fighting for SuperLeague come about then?

Vintila: I have been trying to get into SuperLeague for two years but something always came up. But then before the event in Portugal the promoter Jaime Neves asked if I wanted to fight and I accepted. I thought now is the time but I lost via injury but I think I impressed the crowd and here I am (laughs).

Larsenator: Cool. When is your next fight?

Vintila: Actually I am not sure yet because I will not be fighting on the SuperLeague card in Paris so I am just waiting for the next fight offer.

Larsenator: Are we ever going to see you fight for other big organisation?

Vintila: Yes, who knows? Maybe K-1 but I really like to fight in Lokal Kombat in Romania as that is my country.

Larsenator: Now let’s get back to SuperLeague. You lost your first fight on a TKO. What exactly happened?

Vintila: In that fight the ligaments in my knee was contracted and I could not stretch my leg and of course Merza’s low kick didn’t help either (laughs). There wasn’t any pain but the leg didn’t respond properly but hey it is something that can happen from just plain walking. But now everything is fine again and I hope it will never happen again.

Larsenator: You have been fighting for quite some time mate. Has the life of a professional Thaiboxer changed your life?

Fadi Merza feeling the hands of Vintila!

Vintila: I have been fighting for seven years now and I really enjoy it. It is not easy being a professional fighter in Portugal as you get no financial help plus the fact that I am a foreigner in a country where this sport used to be closed to the general public. It used to be closed and manipulated by some people and only recently opened up to the general public.
There has been so many times where I had no money for food or for the gym fee so I had to just go and train outside but I enjoy every moment of what I am doing and it is a very nice feeling to actually be recognized in Romania and Portugal for the fighter I am.

Larsenator: Cool. And what about the future Florin – when it all comes to an end what do you want to do then?

Vintila: As I said before I have my gyms here in Algarve, Portugal. I have a lot of young up and coming fighters and I promote one of the biggest shows in Portugal so when I stop fighting I will continue with these projects.

Larsenator: Excellent mate. I wish you the best of luck with all your ambitions.

Vintila: Thank you man. I would also like to thank all the people who have helped me and who believed in me. See you in SuperLeague.