The year 2019 is the 3rd year in the history of the World Lethwei Championship, a Lethwei promotion based in Myanmar.
List of events # Event Date Venue Location Attendance1 WLC 7: Mighty Warriors Mandalar Thiri Indoor Stadium Mandalay, Myanmar 2 WLC 8: Karen Spirit Chit Tu Myaing Park Hpa-an, Kayin State 3 WLC 9: King of Nine Limbs Mandalar Thiri Indoor Stadium Mandalay, Myanmar 4 WLC 10: Fearless Tigers Mandalar Thiri Indoor Stadium Mandalay, Myanmar
WLC 7: Mighty Warriors
WLC 7: Mighty Warriors was a Lethwei event held by World Lethwei Championship on February 22, 2019 at the Mandalar Thiri Indoor Stadium in Mandalay, Myanmar's 2nd largest city.
Background The event was the first in Lethwei history to be broadcast internationally on UFC Fight Pass. Newly signed to the WLC, Vietnamese ONE Championship fighter Nguyễn Trần Duy Nhất made his debut and defeated Cambodia's fighting star Pich Mtes Khmang who was at his second Lethwei appearance. The co-main event featured Myanmar fighter Shwe Yar Mann who had an incredible year 2018 where he went undefeated in 10 fights. He took on Ukrainian Sasha Moisa who also had an amazing year winning two multi-men tournaments in Thailand. In the main event, the recently crowned Light Welterweight Myanmar National Champion Saw Htoo Aung faced Portugal's Antonio Faria for a chance to trade his silver belt for an opportunity at the gold belt. Faria had already won two fights in World Lethwei Championship and was moving up a weight class for this bout. The event crowned the first Light Welterweight World Lethwei Champion when Faria won by 2nd-round knockout over Saw Htoo Aung.
Results WLC 7: Mighty Warriors Weight Class Method Round Time NotesLight Welterweight 63.5 kg Antonio Fariadef. Saw Htoo AungTKO (Retirement)32:00For the Light Welterweight World Lethwei ChampionshipLight Middleweight 71 kg Sasha Moisadef. Shwe Yar MannKO (Punches)31:40Welterweight 67 kg Yan Naing Tundef. Saw Ba OoDecision (Unanimous)53:00Lightweight 60 kg Nguyễn Trần Duy Nhấtdef. Pich Mtes KhmangKO (Head Kick and Punch)12:13Lightweight 60 kg Htoo Nay Thudef. Daung PhyuDecision (Unanimous)53:00Light Welterweight 63.5 kg Saw Min Mindef. Saw DarwaitDecision (Unanimous)53:00Lightweight 60 kg Tun Min Naingdef. Saw Thar NgeDecision (Split)53:00
WLC 8: Karen Spirit
WLC 8: Karen Spirit was a Lethwei event held by World Lethwei Championship on May 5, 2019 at the Chit Tu Myaing Park in Hpa-an, Myanmar.
Background The event was the first major Lethwei event held in Kayin State The Kayin State is the epicentre for Lethwei culture. The sport is practiced in all of Myanmar, but it is held in higher regard among the Kayin, one of the 135 ethnic groups in Myanmar. The WLC brought the modern Lethwei rules for the first time to the State. In the main event, Mite Yine returned to action against Cambodia's Morn Samet who stepped up as a late replacement for Shahmarzade Amil. Myanmar's National Champion Kyaw Zin Latt replaced Soe Lin Oo in the co-main event against the Muay Thai star from Germany, Burutlek Petchyindee Academy. Injuries had hounded the headline fighters at the event, which prompting a re-shuffle of the card. Mite Yine who is a native son of Kayin, won the gold at 2013 SEA Games and won the coveted Lethwei Golden Belt twice. The sole women's match was between ethnic Karen Naw Phaw Law Eh and Vietnam's Huynh Ha Huu Hieu. Naw Phaw Law Eh also known as 'Eh Eh' previously won gold medals SEA Games in judo and a bronze in a regional wrestling competition. Thway Thit Aung faced Tiger Muaythai's David McCarthy from Ireland. Mite Yine won by split decision.
Results
WLC 8: Karen Spirit Weight Class Method Round Time NotesFeatherweight 57 kg Mite Yine def. Morn SametDecision (Split)53:00Welterweight 67 kg Burutlek Petchyindee Academydef. Kyaw Zin LattKO (Punch)12:23Welterweight 67 kg Thway Thit Aung def. David McCarthyDecision (Unanimous)53:00Light Welterweight 63.5 kg Saw Min Mindef. Aung Aung HtooTKO (Corner Stoppage)33:00 W.Light Flyweight 48 kg Huynh Ha Huu Hieudef. Eh EhDecision (Unanimous)33:00Light Welterweight 63.5 kg Thway Thit Maungdef. Aung HeinDecision (Unanimous)53:00Lightweight 60 kg Hein Tun Aungdef. Than ZawKO (Headbutt)41:23Welterweight 67 kg Ba Heindef. Min Htet KyawKO (Kick to the Body)32:43
WLC 9: King of Nine Limbs
WLC 9: King of Nine Limbs was a Lethwei event held on August 2, 2019 at the Mandalar Thiri Indoor Stadium in Mandalay, Myanmar.
Background In March 2019, the WLC announced that it had signed undefeated Lethwei world champion Dave Leduc to an exclusive contract. For Leduc's debut, the promotion signed former TUF competitor and UFC welterweight Seth Baczynski. Baczynski felt confident leading up to the fight because he had more fighting experience than Leduc. The bout was for the inaugural Cruiserweight World Lethwei Championship. In the co-main event, incumbent Light Middleweight World Lethwei Champion Artur Saladiak faced Ukrainian Champion Sasha Moisa. Moisa became the rightful challenger to the title after the strong statement he made in his Lethwei debut knocking out Myanmar star Shwe Yar Man at WLC 7. During the fight, Moisa swarmed Saladiak with precise right hands and dropped Saladiak on several occasions, winning the Light Middleweight title in a unanimous decision victory. The event also featured France's Souris Manfredi and Eh Yanut from Cambodia and Manfredi became the first winner in the newly created women's division by defeated against Eh Yanut. In the main event, Dave Leduc landed a solid elbow which exploded Bacynski's left ear. He then knocked out Baczynski with punches to win the inaugural Cruiserweight World Lethwei Championship.
Fight Card
WLC 9: King of Nine Limbs Weight Class Method Round Time NotesCruiserweight 84 kg Dave Leducdef. Seth Baczynski TKO (4 Knockdown Rule) 22:04For the Cruiserweight World Lethwei ChampionshipLight Middleweight 71 kg Sasha Moisadef. Artur SaladiakDecision (Unanimous)53:00For the Light Middleweight World Lethwei ChampionshipW.Bantamweight 54 kg Souris Manfredidef. Eh YanutDecision (Unanimous)3 3:00Lightweight 60 kg Nguyễn Trần Duy Nhấtdef. Izat ZakiDecision (Unanimous) 53:00Light Welterweight 63.5 kg Hein Tun Aungdef. Linn Htet AungDecision (Unanimous)53:00Bantamweight 54 kg Aung Paingdef. Paing Thet AungDecision (Unanimous)43:00Welterweight 67 kg Saw Lin Lindef. Saw El KaluuDecision (Split)43:00
WLC 10: Fearless Tigers
WLC 10: Fearless Tigers was a Lethwei event held on October 4, 2019 in Mandalay, Myanmar.
Background This event was done in partnership with the Mandalay-based Lethwei promotion Great Tiger Group, who promoted five bouts after the live international broadcast on UFC Fight Pass. The main event for the international broadcast featured Lethwei World's 2019 breakthrough fighter Thway Thit Win Hlaing against Thai-German Muaythai champion Burutlek Petchyindee Academy, both previously undefeated in World Lethwei Championship. Thway Thit Win Hlaing has been on a winning streak by defeating Saw Ba Oo, Shwe Yar Mann and Shan Ko in the first three WLC events, before taking a brief hiatus. Burutlek Petchyindee Academy made an instant impact in the world of lethwei when he knocked out former light welterweight champion Kyaw Zin Latt with one punch in his debut. That impressive performance has won him a date against Thway Thit Win Hlaing. In the co-main event, Nicola Barke was making her Lethwei debut against Bianka Balajt from Hungary which she won by unanimous decision. In the main event, Thway Thit Win Hlaing landed an overhand right to knockout Burutlek Petchyindee Academy to continue his undefeated streak.
Fight Card
WLC 10: Fearless Tigers Weight Class Method Round Time NotesLight Middleweight 71 kg Phyan Thwedef. Shwe Yar Mann Knockout 4 Lethwei Challenge Fight (Not on international broadcast)Welterweight 67 kg Tha Pyay Nyodef. Yan Naing Tun Draw 5 3:00 Lethwei Challenge Fight (Not on international broadcast)Light Welterweight 63.5 kg Ye Thway Nedef. Saw Min Min Draw 5 3:00 Lethwei Challenge Fight (Not on international broadcast)Light Welterweight 63.5 kg Lwan Chaidef. Htoo Nay Thu Draw 5 3:00 Lethwei Challenge Fight (Not on international broadcast)Lightweight 60 kg Kyaw Swar Windef. Pat Kyaw Lin Naing Draw 5 3:00 Lethwei Challenge Fight (Not on international broadcast)Light Middleweight 71 kg Thway Thit Win Hlaingdef. Burutlek Petchyindee Academy Knockout 2 2:21Light Welterweight 63.5 kg Nicola Barkedef. Bianka Balajti Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00Featherweight 57 kg Mite Yinedef. Nguyen Thanh Trung Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00Light Welterweight 63.5 kg Elite Peakdaydef. Shuklaine Min Decision (Split) 5 3:00Light Welterweight 63.5 kg Thway Thit Maungdef. Omar Elouers Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00Lightweight 60 kg Auk Chin Laydef. Hein Tun Aung Decision (Split) 5 3:00Light Welterweight 63.5 kg Saw Kaung Htet def. Saw Min Naing Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00Bantamweight 54 kg Soe Win Thandef. Thein Soe Knockout 1 0:31 Preliminary fight. Not on international broadcast.
See also ILFJ World Lethwei Federation
References