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World Lethwei Championship#Champions

{{Short description|Martial arts promotion in Myanmar (2015–2021)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}

{{Infobox company

| name = World Lethwei Championship

| logo = WLClethweilogo.png

| type = Private

| foundation = August 2015

| defunct = February 1st, 2021 Due to 2021 Myanmar coup d'état

| key_people = Zay Thiha (Chairman)
Sein Phyo Hlaing (Executive Director)
Gerald Ng (CEO)

| location_country = Myanmar

| location_city = Yangon

| industry = Lethwei promotion

| owner = Myanmar Lekkha Moun Co Ltd{{cite web|url=http://www.dica.gov.mm/sites/dica.gov.mm/files/document-files/ygn_reg_22-6-2016-e.pdf|title=Local Company List For Registration On (22-6-2016)In Yangon Region|publisher=DICA|date=16 May 2017}}

| homepage = {{Official URL}}

}}

World Lethwei Championship (also known as WLC) was a Lethwei promotion based in Yangon, Myanmar.{{cite web|url=https://mymmanews.com/wlc-bareknuckle-fighting/|title=World's Largest Bareknuckle Fighting Organization Sets Event for 10,000 Seat Indoor Stadium|publisher=MyMMANews|date=23 May 2017}} The promotion brought the millennia-old Burmese martial of Lethwei to UFC Fight Pass and showcased it to the world.{{cite web|url=https://mymmanews.com/wlc-bareknuckle-fighting|author=Eric Kowal|title=World's largest bareknuckle fighting organization sets event for 10,000 seat indoor stadium|date=16 May 2017 |publisher=MyMMANews|access-date=9 February 2020}}{{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}} The WLC events combined the historic traditions of Lethwei with modern entertainment.{{cite web|url= http://www.thefightnation.com/event/world-lethwei-championship-1-the-great-beginning|author=Matt Eaton|title= World Lethwei Championship 1: The Great Beginning|publisher=The Fight Nation|date=16 May 2017}}

History

= Formation =

The success of ONE Championship's mixed martial arts events in Myanmar caught the eye of Zaykabar Company Vice-Chairman Zay Thiha, who decided to bring world-class Lethwei events the world.{{Cite news|url=http://rough.asia/interviews/zay-thiha-bringing-lethwei-to-the-world/|title=Zay Thiha: Bringing Lethwei to the World|work=Rough Magazine|date=11 August 2017}} The businessman started Lekkha Moun Co in 2015 and the World Lethwei Championship was officially founded in August 2017 by Zay Thiha and investors, as a subsidiary of Lekkha Moun Co.{{Cite news|url=https://www.mmtimes.com/news/economics-behind-world-lethwei-championship.html|author=Kang Wan Chern|title=The economics behind World Lethwei Championship|website=Myanmar Times|date=25 May 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://myanmaritv.com/news/world-letwhei-championship-biggest-intl-lethwei-competition-myanmar|title=World Lethwei Championship: Biggest Int'l. Lethwei Competition in Myanmar|website=Myanmaritv|date=25 May 2017}}

= Inaugural event =

In 2017, WLC signed Myanmar's top Lethwei fighters Tun Tun Min & Too Too.{{cite web|url=http://burmese.dvb.no/archives/181199|title=၂၀၁၇ တွင် ကျင်းပမည့် မြန်မာ့ရိုးရာ လက်ဝှေ့ပွဲတွင် ထိုးသတ်ရန် နိုင်ငံခြားသားနှစ်ဦးနှင့် စာချုပ်|publisher=DVB.com|access-date=16 May 2017|language=my}} The first WLC event, titled WLC 1: The Great Beginning, was held on 3 March 2017 at Mingalardon Event Zone in Mingaladon Township, Yangon, Myanmar.{{cite web|url= http://sport360.com/article/boxing-mma/one-championship-mma/223041/world-lethwei-championship-to-be-held-in-myanmar-following-success-of-one-championship/|title= World Lethwei championship to be held in Myanmar|publisher=sports360 |access-date=16 May 2017}}{{cite web|url= https://www.facebook.com/elevenbroadcasting/videos/1861101840812958/|title= ကမ္ဘာ့ချန်ပီယံရှစ် ရိုးရာလက်ဝှေ့ပြိုင်ပွဲ အဓိကတွဲဆိုင်းတွင် မြန်မာပြည်ချန်ပီယံထွန်းထွန်းမင်း အင်္ဂလန် နိုင်ငံသား နီကိုးလက်စ်ကာတာကို အလဲထိုးအနိုင်ရ (ရုပ်သံ)|publisher=Eleven Broadcasting |access-date=16 May 2017|language=my}}

= Signing Dave Leduc =

In March 2019, the promotion announced that it had signed Lethwei superstar Dave Leduc to an exclusive contract.{{cite web|title=Dave Leduc signs with WLC: "I want all the belts"|url=https://www.thefightnation.com/dave-leduc-signs-with-wlc-i-want-all-the-belts/|website=The Fight Nation|date=18 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330213528/https://www.thefightnation.com/dave-leduc-signs-with-wlc-i-want-all-the-belts/|archive-date=30 March 2019|url-status=dead}} The exclusive contract would made it impossible for him to defend his various titles from other promotions.{{Cite web|url=https://yoyarlay.com/xxtnqmqr|title=မြန်မာ့ရိုးရာလက်ဝှေ့ချန်ပီယံ ဒေ့ဗ် (Dave Leduc) နဲ့ စာနယ်ဇင်းမီဒီယာများတွေ့ဆုံပွဲ|author=Thiha|website=Yoyarlay|date=25 March 2019}} Leduc held a press conference at the Karaweik Palace in Yangon to announce that he was vacating three of his four Lethwei world titles and joining the promotion.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefightnation.com/dave-leduc-clears-the-decks-for-wlc|title=Dave Leduc Clears the Decks for WLC|last=Eaton|first=Matt|website=The Fight Nation|language=en-US|date=26 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413202739/https://www.thefightnation.com/dave-leduc-clears-the-decks-for-wlc/|archive-date=13 April 2019|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://thebodylockmma.com/lethwei/dave-leduc-vacates-three-lethwei-titles-will-fight-exclusively-world-lethwei-championship|title= Dave Leduc vacates three Lethwei titles: will fight exclusively for World Lethwei Championship |last=Rae|first=Steven|website=The Body Lock|language=en-US|date=28 March 2019}}

For Leduc's promotional debut at WLC 9: King of Nine Limbs, the WLC signed former UFC welterweight Seth Baczynski.{{Cite web|url=https://m.sherdog.com/news/news/UFC-Veteran-Seth-Baczynski-Signs-MultiFight-Deal-with-World-Lethwei-Championship-153771#/slide/9|title=UFC Veteran Seth Baczynski Signs Multi-Fight Deal With World Lethwei Championship|author=Jason Burgos|website=Sherdog|date=2 May 2019}}

  • {{cite web|author=TFN Staff|title=DAVE LEDUC TO FACE SETH BACZYNSKI IN WLC DEBUT|url=https://www.thefightnation.com/dave-leduc-to-face-seth-baczynski-for-wlc-debut/|website=The Fight Nation|date=18 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190830204855/https://www.thefightnation.com/dave-leduc-to-face-seth-baczynski-for-wlc-debut/|archive-date=30 August 2019|url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2019/08/bare-knuckle-kickboxing-with-headbutts-11-time-ufc-veteran-seth-baczynski-gunning-for-title|title=Bare-knuckle kickboxing with headbutts? 11-time UFC veteran Seth Baczynski gunning for title|author=John Morgan|website=MMA Junkie|date=1 August 2019|language=en}}
  • {{Cite web|url=https://www.fightbookmma.com/multiple-time-lethwei-champion-dave-leduc-to-face-ufc-veteran-seth-baczynski-for-cruiserweight-world-lethwei-championship/|title=MULTIPLE-TIME LETHWEI CHAMPION DAVE LEDUC TO FACE UFC VETERAN SETH BACZYNSKI FOR CRUISERWEIGHT WORLD LETHWEI CHAMPIONSHIP|website=Fight Book MMA|language=en|date=5 May 2019}}
  • {{Cite web|url=https://www.lowkickmma.com/exclusive-seth-baczynski-talks-lethwei-debut|title=Exclusive: Headbutts & Bare Knuckles, Seth Baczynski Talks Upcoming Lethwei Debut|author=Michael Clifton|website=Low Kick MMA|date=30 July 2019}}
  • {{Cite web|url=https://www.mmtimes.com/news/king-nine-limbs-lethwei-event-set-storm-mandalay.html|title='King of Nine Limbs' lethwei event set to storm Mandalay|website=Myanmar Times|author=Sithu Aung Myo Kyaw|language=en|date=3 July 2019|access-date=4 September 2022|archive-date=6 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706051308/https://www.mmtimes.com/news/king-nine-limbs-lethwei-event-set-storm-mandalay.html|url-status=dead}} Leduc knocked out Baczynski with punches to win the inaugural WLC Cruiserweight Championship.{{Cite web|url=http://lethweiworld.com/dave-leduc-stops-seth-baczynski-in-round-2-the-only-ko-of-the-night|title=Dave Leduc Stops Seth Baczynski In Round 2|author=Matthew Carter|website=Lethwei World|date=29 August 2019}}
  • {{cite web|author=Lucas Bourdon|title=Lethwei champion Dave Leduc: 'I didn't like Muay Thai, because there were gloves'|url=https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2019/8/1/20750483/lethwei-champion-dave-leduc-interview-seth-baczynski-ufc-fight-pass-myanmar-kickboxing-muay-thai|website=Bloody Elbow|date=1 August 2019|access-date=4 September 2022|archive-date=31 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331191541/https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2019/8/1/20750483/lethwei-champion-dave-leduc-interview-seth-baczynski-ufc-fight-pass-myanmar-kickboxing-muay-thai|url-status=dead}} The event received a significant viewership success on UFC Fight Pass and won multiple awards in Asia such as the 2019 Best Sport Program at The Asian Academy Awards. Leduc received a $50,000 bonus for his performance and marketing efforts.{{Cite web|url=http://lethweiworld.com/wlc-9-bonus-dave-leduc-scores-belated-50000|title=WLC 9 Bonus : Dave Leduc Scores Belated $50,000|author= Matthew Carter|website=Lethwei World|date=2 January 2020}}

= International expansion =

In October 2019, while on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Dave Leduc announced that the organization had plans to host an historical event in the United States.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefightnation.com/dave-leduc-says-lethwei-is-coming-to-the-usa|title=Dave Leduc Says Lethwei Is Coming to the USA|website=The Fight Nation|author=Matt Eaton|language=en|date=29 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191227121742/https://www.thefightnation.com/dave-leduc-says-lethwei-is-coming-to-the-usa/|archive-date=27 December 2019|url-status=dead}} At the pre-fight press conference for WLC 11: Battlebones, WLC executive director Sein Phyo Hlaing revealed plans to expand globally in 2020,{{Cite web|url=https://apmma.net/the-world-lethwei-championship-has-big-plan-for-2020/|title=The World Lethwei Championship Plans to Go Global in 2020|website=APMMA|author=Leon Jennings|date=31 January 2020}} beginning with Cambodia,{{Cite web|url=https://thebodylockmma.com/lethwei/the-wlc-is-looking-to-expand-its-horizons-and-cambodia-may-be-the-first-stop/|title=The WLC is looking to expand its horizons, and Cambodia may be the first stop|website=The Body Lock|author=Steven Rae|language=en|date=13 June 2019}} Thailand, Japan and the United States.{{Cite web|url=https://www.insider.com/world-lethwei-championship-still-planning-2020-debut-in-the-us-2020-5|title=The world's most brutal fight firm is bringing its unique brand of violence to the US, and it involves head-butt knockouts|website=Insider|author=Alan Dawson|date=May 29, 2020}}

  • {{Cite web|url=https://combatoverload.com/world-lethwei-championship/the-next-four-countries-to-host-world-lethwei-championship/|title=The Next Four Countries to Host World Lethwei Championship|website=Combat Overload|author=Nyi Min Han|date=15 May 2020}}
  • {{Cite web|url=https://www.thefightnation.com/world-lethwei-championship-is-going-global-in-2020/|title=World Lethwei Championship Is Going Global in 2020|author=Matt Eaton|language=en|website=The Fight Nation|date=30 January 2020|access-date=2 February 2020|archive-date=2 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202170007/https://www.thefightnation.com/world-lethwei-championship-is-going-global-in-2020/|url-status=dead}} As the promotion expands internationally, it plans to sign even more free-agents with recognizable names to compete in Lethwei.{{Cite web|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2020/01/world-lethwei-championship-plans-2020-us-debut|title=World Lethwei Championship plans 2020 debut in U.S., eyes free-agent signings|website=MMA Junkie|author=John Morgan|date=31 January 2020}}

= ONE Championship partnership =

In October 2016, the WLC became one of ONE Championship’s partners at the occasion ONE: State of Warriors in Yangon, Myanmar. WLC Chairman Zay Thiha was inspired after witnessing the success ONE Championship in Myanmar which held total of three events in Yangon in 2015 and 2016. These events are said to be the inspiration behind WLC’s creation.{{cite web|url=https://sport360.com/article/boxing-mma/one-championship-mma/223041/world-lethwei-championship-to-be-held-in-myanmar-following-success-of-one-championship|title=World Lethwei championship to be held in Myanmar|website=Sports 360|date=16 February 2017}}

{{cquote|“ONE Championship proved that a world-class martial arts event can thrive in the country, and we believe we can replicate that with the national martial art of Lethwei,” "We believe we can elevate the sport and showcase Myanmar as a world-class sporting nation.” said Zay Thiha.}}

In 2017, the promotion showed interest in co-promoting events in order to expand globally and there was rumours the organization could co-promote with the US-based Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC).{{cite web|url=https://www.insider.com/one-championship-wlc-talking-about-cross-pollenating-each-others-promotion-2020-6|title=World Lethwei Championship is open to a co-promotion in order to expand|author=Alan Dawson|website=Business Insider|date=4 June 2020}} However, the WLC officially entered into a partnership to share fighters with the mixed martial arts promotion ONE Championship.{{cite web|url=http://sport360.com/article/boxing-mma/one-championship-mma/223041/world-lethwei-championship-to-be-held-in-myanmar-following-success-of-one-championship|title=World Lethwei championship to be held in Myanmar|website=Sport 360|date=16 February 2017}} Both parties agreed on sending athletes to fight in each other's organization.{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/mma-firm-one-championship-and-the-world-lethwei-championship-are-in-talks-to-cross-pollinate-each-others-organizations/articleshow/76197171.cms|title=MMA firm One Championship and the World Lethwei Championship are in talks to cross-pollinate each other's organizations|author=Alan Dawson|website=Business Insider India|date=4 June 2020}}{{Cite web|url=http://lethweiworld.com/interview-with-wlc-ceo-erik-alonso/|title=Interview With WLC CEO Erik Alonso|author=James Rees|website=Lethwei World|date=22 August 2022}}

On June 30, 2017, in a collaboration between ONE and WLC, the organizations held a Lethwei dark match at ONE Championship: Light of a Nation, a contest between Soe Htet Oo and Thway Thit Win Hlaing. Soe Htet Oo would end up losing a decision according to WLC point system where a winner must be chosen by judges decision if the fight goes there is no stoppage.{{cite web|url=https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/events/46084-one-championship-light-of-a-nation|title=ONE Championship: Light of a Nation|website=Tapology|access-date=4 September 2022}} As of 2022, there has been rumours of WLC Champion Dave Leduc crossing over to ONE Championship under Lethwei rules.{{cite web|url=https://www.fightsports.tv/lethwei-burmese-boxing-in-one-championship/|title=Lethwei (Burmese Boxing) In ONE Championship?|website=Fight Sports|date=30 August 2022 |access-date=5 September 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.insider.com/one-championship-would-love-to-recruit-headbutt-expert-dave-leduc-2020-4|title=Asia's biggest MMA firm would love to recruit head-butting Lethwei 'monster' Dave Leduc once the coronavirus pandemic slows|author=Alan Dawson|website=Business Insider|date=28 April 2020}}

= Women division =

In 2018, Cambodia's Nou Srey Pov became the first female winner in World Lethwei Championship, defeating Shwe Sin Min and Shwe Nadi.{{Cite news|url=https://www.khmertimeskh.com/496452/srey-pov-wins-again-in-burmese-lethwei//|title=Srey Pov wins again in Burmese Lethwei|website=Khmer Times|date=4 June 2018}}

In 2019, WLC announced it will commit to the female Lethwei division with a dedicated female match at every event.{{Cite news|url=https://blackbeltmag.com/lethwei|title=World Lethwei Championship Returns With First Women's Championship|website=Black belt|author=Mark Jacobs|date=August 28, 2020}} It held its first female fight after the announcement featuring France's Souris Manfredi and Eh Yanut from Cambodia at WLC 9: King of Nine Limbs on 2 August in Mandalay, Myanmar. Manfredi became the first winner of the newly created women's division by defeating Yanut.{{Cite news|url=https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50630376/yanut-comes-up-short-in-wlc-debut/|title=Yanut comes up short in WLC debut|website=Khmer Times|date=4 August 2019}}

= Broadcast =

Sky Net was the first television channel to broadcast the WLC events live in Myanmar and were then delayed telecast in over 40 countries worldwide.{{Cite news|url=http://myanmardigital.news/en/content/17458|title=WLC Lethwei Challenge In Naypyidaw To Be Broadcast Live|website=Myanmar Digital News|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}} In 2018, WLC signed a broadcasting deal with international broadcaster Canal+ for exclusive broadcasting rights in Myanmar.{{cite web|url= http://www.mdn.gov.mm/en/wlc-7-mighty-warriors-take-place-mandalay/|title= WLC-7: "Mighty Warriors" to take place in Mandalay|website=Myanmar Digital News|date=1 February 2019}}{{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=MyMMANews|language=en|date=11 August 2017}} The end of 2018, the WLC marked Lethwei history by signing a deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship{{cite web|author=TFN Staff|url=https://www.thefightnation.com/lethwei-comes-to-ufc-fight-pass|title=Lethwei Is Coming To UFC Fight Pass|publisher=The Fight Nation|date=4 January 2019}} and having its first Lethwei event broadcast live on UFC Fight Pass.{{cite web|url= https://www.mmafighting.com/2018/12/29/18160501/2019-ufc-fight-pass-schedule-includes-ppv-prelims-boxing-lethwei|title=2019 UFC Fight Pass schedule includes PPV prelims, boxing, Lethwei|publisher=MMA Fighting|date=31 December 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.thefightnation.com/world-lethwei-championship-lines-up-big-card-for-ufc-fight-pass-debut|title=World Lethwei Championship Lines Up Big Card for UFC Fight Pass Debut|website=The Fight Nation|date=31 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405064749/https://www.thefightnation.com/world-lethwei-championship-lines-up-big-card-for-ufc-fight-pass-debut/|archive-date=5 April 2019|url-status=dead}} World Lethwei Championship was also available in over 100 countries through broadcast deals with Fight Network,{{Citation|title=[World Lethwei Championship] Anthem Sports Entertainments Fight Network inks distribution in middle east|url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/anthem-sports-entertainments-fight-network-inks-distribution-in-middle-east/|language=en|website=Media Play News|date=27 August 2020 |access-date=2020-09-17}} Arena Sport, Fox Sports, Star Sports, Bayon Television, Titan Channel, Sport Extra and StarTimes.

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

align="center" |13

| WLC 14: Lethwei Showcase

| 25 September 2020

| Undisclosed location

| Undisclosed location

align="center" |12

| WLC 12: Hideout Battle

| {{dts|format=dmy|2020|August|28}}

| Undisclosed location

| Undisclosed location

align=center|11

| WLC 11: Battlebones

| {{dts|format=dmy|2020|January|31}}

| Thein Pyu Stadium

| {{flagicon|Myanmar}} Yangon, Myanmar

align=center|10

| WLC 10: Fearless Tigers

| {{dts|format=dmy|2019|October|4}}

| Mandalar Thiri Indoor Stadium

| {{flagicon|Myanmar}} Mandalay, Myanmar

align=center|9

| WLC 9: King of Nine Limbs

| {{dts|format=dmy|2019|August|2}}

| Mandalar Thiri Indoor Stadium

| {{flagicon|Myanmar}} Mandalay, Myanmar

align=center|8

| WLC 8: Karen Spirit

| {{dts|format=dmy|2019|May|5}}

| Chit Tu Myaing Park

| {{flagicon|Myanmar}} Hpa-an, Myanmar

align=center|7

| WLC 7: Mighty Warriors

| {{dts|format=dmy|2019|February|22}}

| Mandalar Thiri Indoor Stadium

| {{flagicon|Myanmar}} Mandalay, Myanmar

align=center|6

| WLC 6: Heartless Tigers

| {{dts|format=dmy|2018|September|29}}

| Thuwunna National Indoor Stadium

| {{flagicon|Myanmar}} Yangon, Myanmar

align=center|5

| WLC 5: Knockout War

| {{dts|format=dmy|2018|June|2}}

| Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium

| {{flagicon|Myanmar}} Naypitaw, Myanmar

align=center|4

| WLC 4: Bareknuckle-King

| {{dts|format=dmy|2018|February|17}}

| Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium

| {{flagicon|Myanmar}} Naypitaw, Myanmar

align=center|3

| WLC 3: Legendary Champions

| {{dts|format=dmy|2017|November|4}}

| Thuwunna National Indoor Stadium

| {{flagicon|Myanmar}} Yangon, Myanmar

align=center|2

| WLC 2: Ancient Warriors

| {{dts|format=dmy|2017|June|10}}

| Thuwunna National Indoor Stadium

| {{flagicon|Myanmar}} Yangon, Myanmar

align=center|1

| WLC 1: The Great Beginning

| {{dts|format=dmy|2017|March|3}}

| Mingalardon Event Zone

| {{flagicon|Myanmar}} Yangon, Myanmar

Final champions

= World Champions =

class="wikitable"

!Division

!Champion

!Event

!Defenses

style="text-align:left;" |Cruiserweight

|{{flagicon|CAN}} Dave Leduc

| style="text-align:center;" |August 2, 2019 (WLC 9: King of Nine Limbs)

| style="text-align:center;" |0

style="text-align:left;" |Middleweight

|{{flagicon|UZB}} Naimjon Tuhtaboyev

| style="text-align:center;" |January 31, 2020 (WLC 11: Battlebones)

| style="text-align:center;" |0

style="text-align:left;" |Light Middleweight

|{{flagicon|UKR}} Sasha Moisa

| style="text-align:center;" |August 2, 2019 (WLC 9: King of Nine Limbs)

| style="text-align:center;" |0

style="text-align:left;" |Light Welterweight

|{{flagicon|POR}} Antonio Faria

| style="text-align:center;" |February 22, 2019 (WLC 7: Mighty Warriors)

| style="text-align:center;" |1

style="text-align:left;" |Women's Bantamweight

|{{flagicon|FRA}} Souris Manfredi

| style="text-align:center;" |August 28, 2020 (WLC 12: Hideout Battle)

| style="text-align:center;" |0

= Myanmar National Champion =

class="wikitable"

!Division

!Champion

!Event

style="text-align:left;" |Light Welterweight

|{{flagicon|Myanmar}} Saw Htoo Aung

| style="text-align:center;" |September 29, 2018 (WLC 6: Heartless Tigers)

= World championship history =

== Cruiserweight Championship ==

:Weight limit: {{convert|79|kg|lb|1|abbr=on}} to {{convert|83|kg|lb|1|abbr=on}}

class="wikitable" width=100%

!width=1%|No.

!width=21%|Name

!width=25%|Event

!width=12%|Date

!width=8%|Reign

!width=32%|Defenses

1

|align=left | {{flagicon|CAN}} Dave Leduc
def. Seth Baczynski

|align=center | WLC 9: King of Nine Limbs
Mandalay, Myanmar

|align=center | August 2, 2019

|align=center | 542 days

|WLC defuncted February 1, 2021 due to Myanmar coup d'état

== Middleweight Championship ==

:Weight limit: {{convert|71|kg|lb|1|abbr=on}} to {{convert|75|kg|lb|1|abbr=on}}

class="wikitable" width=100%

!width=1%|No.

!width=21%|Name

!width=25%|Event

!width=12%|Date

!width=8%|Reign

!width=32%|Defenses

1

|align=left | {{flagicon|MYA}} Too Too
def. Michael Badato

|align=center | WLC 3: Legendary Champions
Yangon, Myanmar

|align=center | November 4, 2017

|align=center | 818 days

|1. def. Vasyl Sorokin at WLC 4 on February 17, 2018

2

|align=left | {{flagicon|UZB}} Naimjon Tuhtaboyev
def. Too Too

|align=center | WLC 11: Battlebones
Yangon, Myanmar

|align=center | January 31, 2020

|align=center | 367 days

|WLC defuncted February 1, 2021 due to Myanmar coup d'état

== Light Middleweight Championship ==

:Weight limit: {{convert|67|kg|lb|1|abbr=on}} to{{convert|71|kg|lb|1|abbr=on}}

class="wikitable" width=100%

!width=1%|No.

!width=21%|Name

!width=25%|Event

!width=12%|Date

!width=8%|Reign

!width=32%|Defenses

1

|align=left | {{flagicon|POL}} Artur Saladiak
def. Saw Ba Oo

|align=center | WLC 5: Knockout War
Naypitaw, Myanmar

|align=center | June 2, 2018

|align=center | 426 days

|

2

|align=left | {{flagicon|UKR}} Sasha Moisa
def. Artur Saladiak

|align=center | WLC 9: King of Nine Limbs
Mandalay, Myanmar

|align=center | August 2, 2019

|align=center | 542 days

|WLC defuncted February 1, 2021 due to Myanmar coup d'état

== Light Welterweight Championship ==

:Weight limit: {{convert|60|kg|lb|1|abbr=on}} to {{convert|63.5|kg|lb|1|abbr=on}}

class="wikitable" width=100%

!width=1%|No.

!width=21%|Name

!width=25%|Event

!width=12%|Date

!width=8%|Reign

!width=32%|Defenses

1

|align=left | {{flagicon|POR}} Antonio Faria
def. Saw Htoo Aung

|align=center | WLC 7: Mighty Warriors
Mandalay, Myanmar

|align=center | February 22, 2019

|align=center | 710 days

|1. def. Francisco Vinuelas at WLC 14 on September 25, 2020


WLC defuncted February 1, 2021 due to Myanmar coup d'état

== Women's Bantamweight Championship ==

:Weight limit: {{convert|51|kg|lb|1|abbr=on}} to {{convert|54|kg|lb|1|abbr=on}}

class="wikitable" width=100%

!width=1%|No.

!width=21%|Name

!width=25%|Event

!width=12%|Date

!width=8%|Reign

!width=32%|Defenses

1

|align=left | {{flagicon|FRA}} Souris Manfredi
def. Maisha Katz

|align=center | WLC 12: Hideout Battle
Undisclosed location

|align=center | August 28, 2020

|align=center | 157 days

|WLC defuncted February 1, 2021 due to Myanmar coup d'état

Rules

The WLC uses the tournament rules established in 1996 by the MTLF.

= Rounds =

Each bout can be booked as a 3, 4 or 5 round fight with 3 minutes per round and a 2-minute break in between rounds. Championship bouts are 5 round fights with 3 minutes per round and a 2-minute break between rounds.

= Judging =

In the event that a bout goes the distance, it will go to the judges decision. The 3 judges will score the bout based on number of strikes per round. Fighters have a maximum of 3 knockdowns per round and 4 knockdowns in the entire fight before the fight is ruled a knockout.

= Weight classes =

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

!rowspan="2"|Weight class name

!colspan="3"|Upper limit

!rowspan="2"|Gender

in pounds (lb)

!in kilograms (kg)

!in stone (st)

style="text-align:center;"

|align="left"|Light Flyweight

|105

487.6Female
style="text-align:center;"

|align="left"|Flyweight

|112

518Male / Female
style="text-align:center;"

|align="left"|Bantamweight

|119

548.5Male / Female
style="text-align:center;"

|align="left"|Featherweight

|126

579Male / Female
style="text-align:center;"

|align="left"|Lightweight

|132

609.5Male / Female
style="text-align:center;"

|align="left"|Light Welterweight

|140

63.510Male / Female
style="text-align:center;"

|align="left"|Welterweight

|148

6710.5Male
style="text-align:center;"

|align="left"|Light Middleweight

|157

7111.1Male
style="text-align:center;"

|align="left"|Middleweight

|165

7511.8Male
style="text-align:center;"

|align="left"|Super Middleweight

|174

7912.4Male
style="text-align:center;"

|align="left"|Cruiserweight

|183

8313Male

Awards

  • Lethwei World
  • 2019 Lethwei Promotion of the year{{cite web|author=Matthew Carter|title=2019 Lethwei World Awards|url= http://lethweiworld.com/2019-lethwei-world-awards/ |website=Lethwei World|date=2 January 2020}}
  • 2019 Event of the Year {{small|WLC 9}}
  • Spia Asia Awards
  • 2019 Best Sport Tourism Destination Campaign of the Year - Bronze {{small|WLC 9}}{{cite web|url=https://spiaasia.com/2019-winners|title=SPIA Asia 2019 Winners|website=Spia Asia|access-date=2 January 2020}}
  • Asian Academy Awards
  • 2019 Best Sport Program - National Winner {{small|WLC 9}}{{cite web|url=https://www.asianacademycreativeawards.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Full-List-of-National-Winners-by-Categories.pdf

|title=National Winners 2020|website=Asian Academy Awards|access-date=15 October 2020}}

Notable fighters

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

{{div col end}}

See also

{{Portal|Martial arts}}

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • {{Official website}}
  • {{YouTube|custom=worldlethwei}}
  • {{Facebook}}
  • {{Instagram}}

{{Lethwei}}

{{Kickboxing organizations|state=autocollapse}}

{{Sports governing bodies in Myanmar}}

Category:World Lethwei Championship

Category:Lethwei organizations

Category:Kickboxing organizations

Category:Sport in Myanmar

Category:Sports organizations established in 2015

Category:2015 establishments in Myanmar