Last weekend the historical province of Kerman was the host of the biggest Muaythai event in the history of Iranian Muaythai. Winners of the National Iranian Championships were to compete against medalists and winners of the last year Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games 2017 and World Games 2017.
Iran ranked the second best team in Ashgabad at AIMAG 2017 and so many names became famous in Iran and worldwide that the Cancun World Championships qualifications became an all-star event in itself gathering the best of the best Iran presently has to offer in Muaythai.
The winners of the event made the strongest team Iran has ever had which will definitely be a contender for the highest team place.
In the female 51 kg division the silver medalist of the AIMAG 2017 Fatemeh Yavari booked her spot in the team after beating Sahar Saffari who was the gold medalist of the Iranian Championships but lacked skills to outcompete Fatemeh. Fatemeh will travel to Mexico as one of the strongest representatives of the 51 kg from the Asian region.
The 60 kg female spot for Mexico was contested between another silver medalist of the Ashgabad Games Saeideh Gaffari and the winner of Iranian Championships Samane Kazemi, and it was again the triumphant medalist of the Ashgabad Games Saeideh who will accompany Fatemeh to Mexico and try to improve her achievement from AIMAG 2017.
A leading force of the male 60 kg division Ali Zarinfar who is the gold medal winner at the AIMAG 2017 and silver medalist of the World Games 2017 was competing with the winner of the Iranian Championships Ali Asghar Godrati. It was Zarinfar again who will travel to Mexico.
71 kg division will be represented by the gold medal winner of the Asian Beach Games 2016 and silver medalist of the World Games 2017 Masoud Minaei who beat the talented Nima Vakili in a close fight. In Poland, Masoud lost to the Thai Muensang Suppachai also known as Superbon. Cancun will be a great chance for Masoud to even the score between Iran and Thailand.
One of the most spectacular final bouts in the 91+ kg division was between Iranian Iraj Azizpour and Tsotne Rogava from Ukraine. It was a true clash of giants where Ukraine became the winner keeping the hype for the rematch for Mexico. The Minsk audience remembers the frustration of Iraj after the score announcement in Minsk giving him a storming ovation for his amazing performance. The bout of Tsotne and Iraj will be a definite must watch in Cancun.
There have been many interesting bouts and Iran truly became one of the leading forces in Muaythai in Asia and the world entering the Elite Muaythai with amazing athletes.
