Jake Peacock: ‘I hope people will be inspired and changed by my story’

Jake Peacock is the reigning Canadian welterweight and North American super welterweight muay thai champion. He has won eight of his nine professional fights and is renowned for his ability to knock out opponents clinically with accurate elbows and kicks. His first fight of real meaning had baying crowds around it, but it was far from the bright lights of the stadiums where he now competes. He was 11 years old at school in England, walking to the school field terrified to take on a physically bigger boy who had bullied him mercilessly. Peacock was born with one arm shorter than the other and was sick of the taunts. His decision to fight back that day defined the rest of his life.

“When the last bell rang for the end of school, I knew I had another option. I was walking out of the school and I knew I could keep going straight to the school field or I could turn and walk to my mum’s car 20 yards away and go home. It was a Friday. I could come back in on Monday and see what happens, but that wouldn’t be good. The bullying would just keep going and I knew it would never stop.

“When I walked on to the field, I was still trying to stop it, saying to the guy: ‘You have nothing to prove.’ He just said: ‘Put down your fucking bags and let’s fight.’ People were circling us and it got to the point where he was working me backwards. I knew I had to do something. I just got it done with minimal force. After it was over, the school tried to get me suspended because I had thrown more than one punch. I couldn’t believe it, I had to defend myself. My dad was up to the school so quick and sorted it. I remember days later, the bully came up to me and apologised. That was it and we ended up becoming friends.”

Peacock spent the first 15