What months for Muaythai, with so many events around the world. Let’s start at the top: Australia had two fantastic female events, with Caley Reece defending her World title, and Kate Heuston winning the Intercontinental title.
USA: Two IFMA World Champions met in San Francisco for a much anticipated fight, Miriam Nakamoto against Sandra Bastian, WMC Light Weight Female World Champion. On the same card, Cyrus Washington faced down Ky Hollenback to battle it out for a possible place in Challenger Season 2. Ky Hollenbeck showed why he is the number one American Super Welter Weight fighter.
France: 2 WMC World Titles on the card Alex Harris, IFMA and Swedish Champion facing France’s Aïello Batonon, the European champion. Sweden’s Harris brought the belt home. The WMC Female World title was between Peru’s Valentina Shevchenko, 4 x IFMA World Champion and Sport Accord Champion and Ielö Siapo Page from France. Shevchenko brought home the belt, proving why she is one of the world’s best female fighters.
South Africa: A special Muaythai Against Drugs Event was held in Cape Town with government support, to celebrate the M.A.D. program and Muaythai South Africa’s special commitment to social projects.
China: Simon Marcus, the IFMA World Champion and SportAccord Combat Games winner, again showed his world class by beating the Chinese champion and putting himself in the top position to challenge for the WMC Light Heavy Weight title.
Turkey: Forty countries slashed it out for the IFMA/EMF European Championship, and it was the Eastern European countries which showed their dominance. Levin Artem, IFMA World Champion, won the European Championship for the fifth time, setting up the ultimate match against Canada’s Simon Marcus, a fight which will be held later in the year.
Iran: Over 50 countries traveled to the Peace Through Sport Muaythai event in Tehran, jointly organized by the Iranian Muaythai Association, FAMA, and IFMA, which saw the best of the best fight for 5 days. Winners came from Thailand, Iran, Russia, France, Slovenia, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Australia, USA, Finland, Malaysia, Canada, etc. The event was the first joining of hands between the Peace and Sport organization and Muaythai, since their M.O.U. signed in 2010, and IFMA has now also launched the official “Sport Is Your Gang” campaign.
May is also the month that Muaythai WMC and IFMA is again represented at the most important sporting convention, SportAccord, where the IOC Summer and Winter Olympic Games federations, and all world-recognised sports and games, come together for a five day convention and conference. Muaythai will have a booth to showcase all aspects of the sport, and will be part of many meetings: the SportAccord Combat Games meeting for 2013, and also, a scheduled meeting with the IOC to discuss the roadmap for Muaythai to become recognised.
