Sagat grew up in one of the poorest provinces of Thailand. He found that only the strong got anywhere in the world and started training at an early age to improve his body and mind. He studied Muay Thai and entered his first competition at the age of thirteen. Sagat showed little mercy for his competitors, and would often maim opponents. By the age of twenty, he had become disgusted with the growing regulations imposed in the professional kickboxing rings. Sagat believed that the influx of foreign fighters and growing international interest was leading to regulations that diluted the content of the matches. Some regulations made certain strikes forbidden in order to decrease the number of fatalities in the ring. Sagat heard of the large amounts of money that could be won in certain underground tournaments, so he fought for the first time in the underground circuit and found that the thrill of the no-holds barred competition was as rewarding as the large sums of money. He stayed in the circuit for the fierce and brutal competition. Slowly, he worked his way up in the ranks to become champion. The mantle of Grand Master suited Sagat. His status grew to the point where he could choose who he would fight and the circumstances of each bout. Sagat began to only fight opponents who had shown remarkable promise and destroyed them with sheer ferocity.