Sota's first year at Ingram was spent focusing on Muay Thai, fighting once a month on average. Ingram helped him find matches in well known venues like Lumpinee, Rajadamnern, and MBK. He was even given the opportunity to fight three opponents from Thailand's prison fights, a program in which fighters on the outside are matched up with inmates who train. Fighting in prison was a departure for the quiet Japanese teenager. "I was scared when I got into the ring with each prisoner," he said. "They all had full body tattoos.