During her HEAVYWEIGHT interview earlier this year, MILLI teased, ‘I'll bring Muay Thai to the mix,’ when asked if she had another show-stopping moment – like her iconic mango sticky rice performance at Coachella 2022 – up her sleeve. Not stopping there, she asked us to picture her mid-punch, perhaps landing a cheeky kick, while keeping it stylish.
Fast forward to Head in the Clouds Los Angeles 2025 and MILLI obliterated any expectations by hauling legendary fighter Buakaw Banchamek on stage during her ONE PUNCH set.
Buakaw Banchamek strutted onto the stage shirtless, personifying the essence of classic Muay Thai. He wore gold-trimmed pants proudly stitched with his name, and atop his head rested the Mongkhon – a sacred traditional headdress, symbolising mastery and readiness for combat. As MILLI delivered her rap, moving across the stage, Buakaw followed with precise, shadowed jabs, powerful knee strikes and swift kicks, while the dancers hit the floor.
For the uninitiated, Buakaw Banchamek is a K-1 World Grand Prix champion, WMC Super Welterweight titleholder and one of Muay Thai’s all-time greats who has ruled the rings at Omnoi and Lumpinee stadiums, holy grounds of Muay Thai where only the most skilled fighters earn their place.
Dropping Buakaw mid-MILLI was like a glitch that sharpened the beat. Glitched in, then ONE PUNCH took over. This was not some hollow stunt. It was a sharp, intentional move. MILLI owned her roots and showed them raw, with no watering down for Western palettes and without losing what makes her authentically herself.
That LA set cracked like Muay Thai elbows, both in body and spirit. Sharp, brutal and right on target. Buakaw’s knockout legacy and MILLI’s one-punch jab landed in sync, tying their fighter narratives together in their own ways.