MANILA, Philippines?He dared, he punched, and he conquered.

Asia was glued to the screens for months as Yodsaenklai transformed from a Muay Thai enthusiast to a legit champion.

I look back at the past season and I think to myself, the title couldn?t have gone to anyone else.

Here?s a guy who dared to enter the show that had the power to make or break his career. He applied for it knowing that he was bound to experience the most challenging training session of his life.

In the show, he punched with passion, no matter who he was fighting against?from his strongest opponents to his biggest allies. It was pure business, he said. Just pure sport action.

On the night of the final match, he was considered as the underdog. His more experienced opponent, John Wayne Parr, had fans who were sure that their hero would win it all by the end of the night.

Yet after rounds of intense battle, the judges unanimously sided with Yodsaenklai. The fierce expression that was seen on his face the whole night suddenly turned into a smile. He had conquered it all.

Here are excerpts from Super?s exclusive interview with Yod. Truly, underneath the strong exterior is a sensitive, soft-spoken man.

First of all, congratulations on your win in ?The Contender Asia.? What is your current state of mind?

Thank you very much, I am really glad. I?m so proud of myself. Now I?m feeling a lot relaxed compared to when I was still on the show and I felt that sometimes there was just too much pressure. Oh, and right now I?m really not used to having people recognize me on the street. They ask me for my autograph and for photos. I?m not used to it because I?m a really shy guy.

Minutes before the final match started, did you feel like it was going to be your night? That you were going to win the championship?

In the end, it was a matter of faith and destiny. I had trained so hard. What helped was that there were a lot of people supporting me, they were behind my back?the Singaporeans, Malaysians, Indonesians, Thai, and many others. Of course, my mother was there and that helped a lot.

How was training for the championship night like?

For 25 days I did nothing except train, eat, and sleep. I didn?t even hang out with friends. It was one of the hardest training periods I?ve ever experienced, but it paid off.

How was John Wayne Parr as an opponent?

His punching technique?s very strong and effective. And he was so enthusiastic to win?that was a big strength. However, he?s quite old and couldn?t stand on the ring for five straight rounds. During the first two rounds, he released such aggressive punches. But later on, he lost his stamina. If he were five to six years younger, he would have been a very tough opponent to fight with.

How was he as a friend?

He was a really good one. He?s had a lot of experience and so he gave me a lot of advice.

Who do you think was your biggest competition in the show?

There were two. The first one is my friend Naruepol and the second one is John Wayne Parr. But if I have to pick the toughest one, it would be Naruepol.

What was your strategy against Naruepol?

Well, we have trained together so we know each other?s style so well. Naruepol is very good with his knees but lacks focus when it comes to punching. So my strategy was to keep on punching him, do fewer kicks, and try to avoid the knee-dual.

How was the over-all experience?

Being in the house with 16 people was totally awesome and a very new experience for me. No parents, no familiar trainers!

Do you think you grew inside the house?

Yes, I grew up a lot. There were plenty of things that I learned to do by myself?things I?ve never done before.

What?s next for you?

I?ll keep fighting so I can fund my own Muay Thai gym. Next month, I have a fight in Sweden for the WMC championship.

Are you willing to visit your fans all over Asia?

I?ll be glad if I would be given the chance to travel to see my fans. I?m willing to go anywhere. I feel so grateful for them, to be honest.

My friends were joking around saying you look like an action star. Do you intend to go into acting?

(Laughs) I don?t know, I really don?t know anything about that kind of business. But I?ll say to you that I?m 50/50 with it. If there?s someone who talks to me about it, I?ll give it a try. Why not?

Any advice to aspiring boxers and fighters?

Discipline is the key. You have to be able to follow the routine even though it?s difficult. Listen to your trainer, work hard, be responsible and it?ll pay off.

What is the one thing that people don?t know about Yod?

People believe from what they see on the ring that I?m an aggressive person. But I am actually a modest, polite guy. I?m just too shy, to be honest. I like watching TV and going out with friends. That?s it. Just like ordinary people.

?The Contender Asia? is exclusively shown on AXN ASIA. Visit www.axn-asia.com.