2018 in World Lethwei Championship
{{short description|World Lethwei Championship sport events in 2018}}
{{Year in Combat Sports
|name= 2018 in WLC
|image=
|image_size= 150px
|first_date= February 17, 2018
|last_date= September 29, 2018
|total_events=3
|mma_events=
|kickboxing_events =
|bjj_events =
|total_fights=22
|title_fights=
|preceded_by= 2017 in WLC
|followed_by= 2019 in WLC}}
The year 2018 is the 2nd year in the history of the World Lethwei Championship, a Lethwei promotion based in Myanmar.
List of events
| id="Events" class="wikitable sortable" style="width:80%; font-size:90%;"
! scope="col" | # ! scope="col" | Event ! scope="col" | Date ! scope="col" | Venue ! scope="col" | Location ! scope="col" | Attendance |
| align=center|1
| {{dts|2018|February|17}} | Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium | {{flagicon|Myanmar}} Naypitaw, Myanmar | |
| align=center|2
| {{dts|2018|June|2}} | Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium | {{flagicon|Myanmar}} Naypitaw, Myanmar | |
| align=center|3
| {{dts|2018|September|29}} | {{flagicon|Myanmar}} Yangon, Myanmar | |
WLC 4: Bareknuckle-King
{{Infobox MMA event
|name=WLC 4: Bareknuckle-King
|image=
|image_size=
|promotion=World Lethwei Championship
|date={{dts|2018|February|17}}
|venue=Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium
|city={{flagicon|Myanmar}} Naypitaw, Myanmar
|attendance=
|gate=
|buyrate=
|previousevent=WLC 3: Legendary Champions
|followingevent=WLC 5: Knockout War
}}
WLC 4: Bareknuckle-King was a Lethwei event held on February 17, 2018 Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium in Myanmar's capital, Naypitaw.{{Cite web|author=TFN Staff|url=https://www.thefightnation.com/event/wlc-bare-knuckle-king|title=WLC: BARE-KNUCKLE KING|website=The Fight Nation|language=en|date=15 February 2018|access-date=2 February 2020|archive-date=2 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202153211/https://www.thefightnation.com/event/wlc-bare-knuckle-king/|url-status=dead}}
= Background =
This event marked the first title defence of middleweight Lethwei world champion Too Too.{{Cite news|url=https://www.mmtimes.com/news/too-toos-first-defense-title-against-sorokin.html|title=Too Too's first defense of title against Sorokin|work=Myanmar Times|access-date=2018-01-30|language=en}} For the occasion, he faced Ukraine's Vasyl Sorokin,{{Cite news|url=https://fightgameasia.com/2018/01/25/too-too-looks-to-continue-dominance-in-first-title-defense/|title=Too Too looks to continue dominance in first title defense|work=Fight Game Asia|access-date=2018-01-25|language=en}} who was one of the fastest rising stars in the world of kickboxing.{{Cite web|url=http://www.duwun.com.mm/sports/local-sports/first-fight-at-naypyitaw-id7937523.html|title=First fight at Naypyitaw|website=Duwun|date=5 February 2018}} Sorokin had already been in more than 20 major fights and had recently scored a victory over Thai superstar Sudsakorn Sor Klinmee to earn him the title shot.{{Cite web|author=Eric Kowal|url=https://mymmanews.com/lethwei-vasyl-sorokin/|title=Middleweight World Lethwei Champion Too Too to defend against Ukrainian star Vasyl Sorokin|website=My MMA News|language=en|date=11 August 2017}} After 5 rounds, Too Too won by unanimous decision{{Cite news|url=https://www.mmtimes.com/news/too-too-just-too-good-sorokin.html|title=Too Too just too good for Sorokin|work=Myanmar Times|date=18 February 2018|language=en}} over Sorokin and retained his title.{{Cite web|author=Robert Belen|url=https://fightgameasia.com/2018/02/20/too-too-retains-middleweight-world-lethwei-title-after-a-dominating-performance-against-vasyl-sorokin/|title=Middleweight World Lethwei Champion Too Too Dominates Vasyl Sorokin to Retain Title|website=My MMA News|language=en|date=20 February 2018}}
= Fight Card =
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 80%;" |
| colspan="8" style="background-color: #ccf; color: #000080; text-align: center;" | WLC 4: Bareknuckle-King |
|---|
| colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | Weight Class
! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | Method ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | Round ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | Time ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | Notes |
| Middleweight 75 kg
|{{flagicon|MYA }} Too Too | align="center" |def. |{{flagicon|UKR}} Vasyl Sorokin | Decision (Unanimous) | align="center" | 5 |3:00 |
| Welterweight 67 kg
|{{flagicon|MYA}} Saw Ba Oo | align="center" |def. |{{flagicon|MYA}} Tha Pyay Nyo | Decision (Unanimous) | align="center" | 5 | align="center" | 3:00 | |
| Light Welterweight 63.5 kg
|{{flagicon|MYA}} Kyaw Zin Latt |def. |{{flagicon|MYA}} Ba Htoo Maung |Knockout | align="center" |3 | align="center" | |4-man Light Welterweight Myanmar National Championship |
| Light Welterweight 63.5 kg
|{{flagicon|MYA}} Saw Darwait | align="center" |def. |{{flagicon|MYA}} Pat Kyaw Lin Naing | Knockout | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | |4-man Light Welterweight Myanmar National Championship |
| Featherweight 57 kg
|{{flagicon|CAM}} Nou Srey Pov | align="center" |def. |{{flagicon|MYA}} Shwe Sin Min | Decision (Unanimous) | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 3:00 | |
| Lightweight 60 kg
|{{flagicon|MYA}} Chit Maung Maung | align="center" |def. |{{flagicon|MYA}} Sithu | Decision (Unanimous) | align="center" | 5 | align="center" | 3:00 | |
| Light Welterweight 63.5 kg
|{{flagicon|MYA}} Lethee Moe |def. |{{flagicon|MYA}} Thway Thit Maung | Knockout | align="center" | 4 | align="center" | | |
{{notelist|close}}
WLC 5: Knockout War
{{Infobox MMA event
|name=WLC 5: Knockout War
|image=
|image_size=
|promotion=World Lethwei Championship
|date={{dts|2018|June|2}}
|venue=Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium
|city={{flagicon|Myanmar}} Naypitaw, Myanmar
|attendance=
|gate=
|buyrate=
|previousevent=WLC 4: Bareknuckle-King
|followingevent=WLC 6: Heartless Tigers
}}
WLC 5: Knockout War was a Lethwei event held on June 2, 2018 in Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium in Naypitaw, Myanmar.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mmtimes.com/news/saw-ba-oo-fight-polish-saladiak-world-light-middleweight-title.html|title=Saw Ba Oo fight Polish Saladiak for World Light Middleweight title|website=Myanmar Times|access-date=2018-04-24}}
= Background =
Artur Saladiak and Saw Ba Oo{{Cite web|url=http://www.thefightnation.com/world-lethwei-championship-returns-with-knockout-war-in-june/|title=World Lethwei Championship Returns with Knockout War in June|website=The Fight Nation|language=en|access-date=2018-05-09|archive-date=2018-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180510005258/http://www.thefightnation.com/world-lethwei-championship-returns-with-knockout-war-in-june/|url-status=dead}} contested the main event for the Light Middleweight World LethweiChampionship.{{Cite news|url=http://www.globalnewlightofmyanmar.com/saw-ba-oo-fight-arthur-saladiak-world-title-wlc/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704063615/http://www.globalnewlightofmyanmar.com/saw-ba-oo-fight-arthur-saladiak-world-title-wlc/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 4, 2018|title=Saw Ba Oo fight Artur Saladiak for World Title WLC|website= Global New Light Myanmar|access-date=2018-04-25|language=en}} Artur Saladiak defeated Saw Ba Oo by knockout to become the first Light Middleweight WLC Champion.{{Cite news|url=https://www.mmtimes.com/news/artur-saladiak-secures-light-middleweight-world-title.html|title=Artur Saladiak secures light middleweight world title|website=Myanmar Times|access-date=2018-08-30|language=en|archive-date=2020-02-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202151726/https://www.mmtimes.com/news/artur-saladiak-secures-light-middleweight-world-title.html|url-status=dead}} Artur Saladiak is Britain's K-1 and Muay Thai champion, with a record of 16 wins, 5 losses and 1 draw. He has been in the Lethwei ring three times, twice with Myanmar's Soe Lin Oo, and once with Alex Bublea from Romania. Saladiak showed impressive Lethwei skills in these fights, grabbing a chance to challenge the WLC's light middleweight world title.{{Cite news|url=http://myanmardigital.news/en/content/17458|title=WLC Lethwei Challenge In Naypyidaw To Be Broadcast Live|website=MyanmarDigitalNews|date=1 June 2018|language=en|access-date=2 February 2020|archive-date=2 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202151006/http://myanmardigital.news/en/content/17458|url-status=dead}} Taungkalay Lethwei Club's tough warrior Saw Ba Oo, 28, is one of the toughest Lethwei fighters in Myanmar, with 18 wins, 20 draws and 5 losses. The winner will become the WLC's world Lethwei champion in the light middleweight category. Saw Ba Oo's teammate Saw Darwait will go up against Kyaw Zin Latt from the Nine Thaton Lethwei Club for WLC's light welterweight title.
= Fight Card =
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 80%;" |
| colspan="8" style="background-color: #ccf; color: #000080; text-align: center;" | WLC 5: Knockout War |
|---|
| colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | Weight Class
! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | Method ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | Round ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | Time ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | Notes |
| Light Middleweight 71 kg
|{{flagicon|POL }} Artur Saladiak | align="center" |def. |{{flagicon|MYA}} Saw Ba Oo | Knockout | align="center" | 4 | align="center" | 1:00 |
| Light Welterweight 63.5 kg
|{{flagicon|MYA}} Kyaw Zin Latt | align="center" |def. |{{flagicon|MYA}} Saw Darwait | Decision (Split) | align="center" | 5 | align="center" | 3:00 |
| Super Middleweight 79 kg
|{{flagicon|MYA}} Saw Nga Man | align="center" |def. |{{flagicon|AUS}} Michael Badato | Decision (Split) | align="center" | 5 | align="center" | 3:00 | |
| Welterweight 67 kg
|{{flagicon|MYA}} Tha Pyay Nyo | align="center" |def. |{{flagicon|MYA}} Phoe La Pyae | Knockout | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 0:46 | |
| Bantamweight 54 kg
|{{flagicon|CAM}} Nou Srey Pov | align="center" |def. |{{flagicon|MYA}} Shwe Nadi | Decision (Unanimous) | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 3:00 | |
| Lightweight 60 kg
|{{flagicon|POR}} Antonio Faria |def. |{{flagicon|MYA}} Mite Yine | TKO (Doctor Stoppage) | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 3:00 | |
| Light Welterweight 63.5 kg
|{{flagicon|MYA}} Saw Htoo Aung |def. |{{flagicon|MYA}} Lethee Moe | Decision (Unanimous) | align="center" | 5 | align="center" | 3:00 | |
{{notelist|close}}
WLC 6: Heartless Tigers
{{Infobox MMA event
|name=WLC 6: Heartless Tigers
|image=
|image_size=
|promotion=World Lethwei Championship
|date={{dts|2018|September|29}}
|venue=Thuwunna Stadium
|city={{flagicon|Myanmar}} Yangon, Myanmar
|attendance=
|gate=
|buyrate=
|previousevent=WLC 5: Knockout War
|followingevent=WLC 7: Mighty Warriors
}}
WLC 6: Heartless Tigers was a Lethwei event held on September 29, 2018 at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thefightnation.com/event/wlc-heartless-tigers|title=WLC: HEARTLESS TIGERS|date=29 September 2018|website=The Fight Nation|access-date=2 February 2020|archive-date=2 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202161248/https://www.thefightnation.com/event/wlc-heartless-tigers/|url-status=dead}}
= Background =
This marked WLC's return in Yangon for the first time in 2018, after two events in Myanmar's capital.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mixedmartialarts.com/editorial/world-lethwei-championship-returns-to-yangon-myanmar-with-wlc-heartless-tigers:35cd5c6d-f741-4513-84e6-75e6b0e399e9|title=World Lethwei Championship returns to Yangon, Myanmar with WLC: Heartless Tigers|website=Mixed Martial Arts|language=en|date=5 October 2018|access-date=2 February 2020|archive-date=2 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202151155/https://www.mixedmartialarts.com/editorial/world-lethwei-championship-returns-to-yangon-myanmar-with-wlc-heartless-tigers:35cd5c6d-f741-4513-84e6-75e6b0e399e9|url-status=dead}} The event saw the debut of Kun Khmer star Roeung Sophorn who faced off against Myanmar's knockout artist Yan Naing Tun. With a record of 141 wins and 17 losses, the WLC signed Cambodian Sophorn in an attempt to bring the attention of millions of fans in his home country . Pich Mtes Khmang was also in action in a lightweight bout against Mite Yine.{{Cite web|author=Ismail Vorajee|url=https://www.khmertimeskh.com/537370/cambodians-test-lethwei-mettle|title=Cambodians test Lethwei mettle|language=en|website=Khmer Times|date=28 September 2018}} In the main event, Lethwei superstar Soe Lin Oo made his WLC return against Zhao Wen Wen of China.{{Cite news|url=https://www.mmtimes.com/news/soe-lin-oo-fight-chinas-zhao-wenwen-heartless-tigers.html|title=Soe Lin Oo to fight China's Zhao Wenwen at Heartless Tigers|author=Kyaw Zin Hlaing|date=28 September 2018|website=Myanmar Times|language=en}} Soe Lin Oo defeated Zhao Wen Wen by knockout{{Cite news|url=https://www.mmtimes.com/news/myanmars-soe-lin-oo-knocks-out-zhao-wenwen-china-second-round.html|author=Kyaw Zin Hlaing|website=Myanmar Times|title=Myanmar's Soe Lin Oo knocks out Zhao Wenwen of China in second round|date=1 October 2018|language=en}} in the second round.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thefightnation.com/world-lethwei-championship-lines-up-its-return-to-yangon/|title=World Lethwei Championship Line Up Its Return to Yangon|website=The Fight Nation|language=en|date=2018-08-21|access-date=2020-02-02|archive-date=2020-02-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202161311/https://www.thefightnation.com/world-lethwei-championship-lines-up-its-return-to-yangon/|url-status=dead}}
= Fight Card =
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 80%;" |
| colspan="8" style="background-color: #ccf; color: #000080; text-align: center;" | WLC 6: Heartless Tigers |
|---|
| colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | Weight Class
! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | Method ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | Round ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | Time ! colspan="1" style="background-color: #E6E8FA; color: #000000; text-align: center;" | Notes |
| Welterweight 67 kg
|{{flagicon|MYA }} Soe Lin Oo | align="center" |def. |{{flagicon|CHN}} Zhao Wen Wen | Knockout | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 0:40 | |
| Light Welterweight 63.5 kg
|{{flagicon|MYA}} Saw Htoo Aung | align="center" |def. |{{flagicon|MYA}} Kyaw Zin Latt | Knockout | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 2:59 |
| Welterweight 67 kg
|{{flagicon|MYA}} Yan Naing Tun | align="center" |def. |{{flagicon|CAM}} Roeung Sophorn | Knockout | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 2:59 | |
| Welterweight 67 kg
|{{flagicon|MYA}} Tha Pyay Nyo | align="center" |def. |{{flagicon|UZB}} Sokhrukh Kholmurodov | TKO (Doctor Stoppage) | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 1:25 | |
| Lightweight 60 kg
|{{flagicon|POR}} Antonio Faria | align="center" |def. |{{flagicon|VNM}} Nguyen Tang Quyen | Knockout | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 1:48 | |
| Lightweight 60 kg
|{{flagicon|CAM}} Pich Mtes Khmang |def. |{{flagicon|MYA}} Mite Yine | Decision (Split) | align="center" | 5 | align="center" | 3:00 | |
| Middleweight 75 kg
|{{flagicon|MYA}} Pite Htwe |def. |{{flagicon|MYA}} San Thu Oo | Decision (Unanimous) | align="center" | 5 | align="center" | 3:00 | |
| Light Welterweight 63.5 kg
|{{flagicon|MYA}} Lethee Moe |def. |{{flagicon|MYA}} Shuklaine Min | Decision (Unanimous) | align="center" | 5 | align="center" | 3:00 | |
{{notelist|close}}