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Cover Throwback: Alex Gong


Magazine cover of "Karate Illustrated" features a man delivering a high kick. Bold white and red text highlights articles on martial arts.

In the June 2001 issue of Black Belt, a young Alex Gong was spotlighted as the founder of the U.S. branch of Fairtex. A world champion in ISKA Muay Thai (junior middleweight), Gong held an impressive professional record of 27–2.


Gong also appeared as a fighter in the Walker, Texas Ranger episode “Legends,” sharing the screen with martial arts icons Joe Lewis, Bill Wallace, Don Wilson, Jean-Claude Leuyer, and Danny Steele.


Beyond the ring, Gong opened a Fairtex Gym in San Francisco in 1996 to teach Muay Thai, appointing Bunkerd Fairtex as head trainer. Under his leadership, the gym gained recognition from the World Muay Thai Council as one of the premier training centers in the United States.


Tragically, Gong’s life was cut short in 2003 when he was killed at age 32 during a violent altercation near his gym.


Muay Thai fighters on magazine cover; one delivers a kick. Text highlights martial arts topics. Blue gloves, gray background, dynamic pose.




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