WBC Muay Thai Profile

WBC Muay Thai Profile

Introduction

WBC MuayThai is a non-profit organization that regulates, sanctions and supervises worldwide professional, amateur, and youth MuayThai championships. The organization also adheres to the standard rules and regulations for all Muay Thai competitions as approved by the Board of Boxing Sport (Office of Professional Sports) Sports Authority of Thailand.

The WBC MuayThai is active in over ninety-five countries and territories worldwide, promoting the sport, culture, and rich heritage of MuayThai. WBC MuayThai has its own constitution, rules, and regulations to promote MuayThai sport and culture from Thailand to the world. A non-profit organization that regulates, sanctions, and supervises professional, amateur, and youth MuayThai championships worldwide.

The organization also adheres to the standard rules and regulations for all Muay Thai competitions as approved by the Board of Boxing Sport (Office of Professional Sports) Sports Authority of Thailand. The WBC MuayThai is active in over ninety-five countries and territories around the world, promoting the sport, culture, and rich heritage of MuayThai. WBC MuayThai has its own constitution, rules, and regulations to promote MuayThai sport and culture from Thailand to the world.

History

A gracious audience with His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great. Klai Kang Won Palace, Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand. 26th November 2001

The WBC MuayThai was officially launched following a historic meeting in Hua Hin, Thailand, on November 26th, 2001, between His Majesty, the King of Thailand, WBC President Dr. Jose Sulaiman, and Pol. General Kovid Bhakdibhumi, WBC Vice-President and Asian Boxing Council President. Shortly after, the WBC MuayThai was established to rank fighters globally and sanction WBC MuayThai Title events with Pol. Gen. Kovid Bhakdibhumi was appointed as the Global Chairman.

Since its beginning, the WBC MuayThai has been pivotal in promoting MuayThai globally, currently active in over forty-five countries and hosting professional championships across eighteen weight categories. The WBC MuayThai is committed to maintaining fairness and an even playing field for all athletes, adhering to the rules of the Sports Authority of Thailand, and actively participating in the WBC Clean Boxing Program. Since its inception, the WBC MuayThai has promoted the sport of MuayThai worldwide. To this day, the WBC MuayThai is active in over ninety-five countries and territories, hosting professional, amateur, and youth MuayThai championships across eighteen weight categories.

In 2023, a handing over ceremony of the leadership of the WBC MuayThai took place in Bangkok, attended and overseen by World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman, where Colonel Thanapol Bhakdibhumi became president of the WBC MuayThai, taking the reins of the organization from his father, Police General Kovid Bhakdibhumi.

WBC MuayThai Social Cares Program

In 2019, WBC MuayThai Youth Cares was founded by Nabhiraks (Jade) Bhakdibhumi. Her motivation to create the organization stemmed from an incident that occurred regarding a thirteen-year-old boxer who passed away in the ring due to a brain hemorrhage. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the child participated in competitive boxing as a way of life to support his own education and family. Unfortunately, this type of incident is not uncommon in Thailand. To annihilate this vicious cycle, the organization was created to provide young boxers who come from underprivileged backgrounds with academic scholarships to young boxers to go in concert with their Muay Thai careers. Furthermore, due to the increasing number of youths Muay Thai participants worldwide, WBC Muay Thai Youth Cares was created to unify young boxers and promote togetherness in the sport of MuayThai, fostering one of Thailand’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. We hope that the youths we support will go on to become heroes in the square rings, heroes of their communities, and heroes of their own hearts.

The aim, mission, and purpose are to promote “quality education” for young MuayThai boxers in Thailand and establish the traditions of MuayThai with mandatory health and safety standards for all training camps around the world. The young boxers will be transferring the priceless legacy of MuayThai to future generations, fostering the intangible cultural heritage.

The organization also aims to provide underprivileged young boxers with proper boxing equipment to establish mandatory sports health and safety standards.

None of these community projects, under the umbrella of the World Boxing Council, would be possible without the exemplary vision of the late Dr. Jose Sulaiman, and for that we will be eternally grateful. Moreover, the sincerest regard must be extended to the current President of the World Boxing Council, Mr. Mauricio Sulaiman.

Hall of Fame

WBC Muay Thai has a hall of fame, consisting of people who are related to WBC Muay Thai and have shown a huge commitment to the sport’s progression and sanctioning body and act as life-long ambassadors of the sport.

Current Hall of Famers are:

• Ginty Vrede (deceased): former WBC Muay Thai World Champion, he collapsed whilst training in January 2008 and passed away on the way to hospital.
• Tiana Caverly: Women’s former WBC Muay Thai Bantamweight World Champion, still contributing to the sport today as a ring official in Perth, Australia.
• Kaoklai Kaennorsing: former WBC Muay Thai light-heavyweight world champion, he currently coaches at Evolve MMA in Singapore with fellow Hall of Famer Sagetdao Petpayathai.
• Shane Del Rosario (deceased): former two-time WBC Muay Thai heavyweight world champion and the first American to win a WBC Muay Thai world championship, he suffered a full cardiac arrest in November 2016 after two heart attacks and passed away.
• Miriam Nakamoto: former WBC Muay Thai lightweight world champion and the first female American to win a WBC Muay Thai world championship.
• Julie Kitchen: former WBC Muay Thai welterweight world champion and the first female British fighter to win a WBC Muay Thai world championship.
• Lamsongkram Chuwattana: former WBC Muay Thai middleweight world champion and one of WBC Muay Thai’s most decorated champions.
• Steve Wakeling: former two-weight WBC Muay Thai world champion.
• Anuwat Kaewsamrit: former WBC Muay Thai featherweight world champion, he currently coaches at Impax Academy in Thailand.
• Sagetdao Petpayathai: former WBC Muay Thai super-lightweight world champion, he currently coaches at Evolve MMA in Singapore with fellow Hall of Famer Kaoklai Kaennorsing.
• Kem Sitsongpeenong (formerly Khem Fairtex): former WBC Muay Thai super welterweight world champion, the first WBC Muay Thai World Champion and gym owner in North-East Thailand.
• Artem Levin: former WBC Muay Thai light-heavyweight world champion and ambassador for Muay Thai in Russia.
• Steve McKinnon: former WBC Muay Thai super-cruiserweight world champion.
• Nathan Corbett: former WBC MuayThai cruiserweight world champion and current Muay Thai commentator for Lion Fight Promotions on CBS Sports and feature author at Fightmag.

Weight Categories & Rankings

WBC Muay Thai consists of 18 weight classes ranging from 105 pounds (strawweight) to +200 pounds (heavyweight. The WBC MuayThai world rankings are known to be the most prestigious professional MuayThai rankings in professional MuayThai. The WBC MuayThai world ranking committee meets monthly in Bangkok at the WBC office to review results and petitions and to organize ratings movements for both male and female world rankings which are viewable via https://www.wbcmuaythai.com/male/

And https://www.wbcmuaythai.com/female/

Social Media

The WBC MuayThai promotes most of its activities via a host of internally driven multi-channels and external strategic partners. In total, via the main WBC MuayThai Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Twitter and LinkedIn, the WBC MuayThai has an organic total following of 180,000 built upon a working ethos daily visibility of interaction with fighters, promoters, and fans of the sport of MuayThai.

Championship Accolades

The pinnacle of the championship tree within the WBC MuayThai championship eco-system is the prestigious WBC MuayThai Diamond belt which belt which can only be contested by current or former WBC MuayThai world champions. The WBC MuayThai committees around the world activity promote their state, national, regional, and international titles on a weekly basis across all continents. All WBC MuayThai world title contests are approved by the world championships committee based in Bangkok with a minimum base requirement in place for fighters to meet to qualify to contest for coveted WBC MuayThai world championship strap. On a weekly basis, from Bangkok to Sydney, to London, and more global locations, WBC MuayThai championships take place in small, medium, and large arenas showcasing the talents of youth athletes and adult professional fighters competing for green & gold accolades.

Rules and Regulations

The organization adheres to a strict set of working protocols covering weight categories, mismatch prevention, in fight rules, scoring, ring officials conduct, constitution, code of ethics, all of which are viewable via https://www.wbcmuaythai.com/rules-regulations/

Ring Officials Education

Through the Bangkok based ring officials committee, the WBC MuayThai hosts in person and digital ring officials’ workshops and seminars to enable aspiring ring officials from around the world to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to work as competent ring officials for WBC MuayThai championship contests. The WBC MuayThai team has created an in-depth library of educational theory materials for referees, judges, and supervisors.

Global MuayThai Festivals

In 2022, the WBC MuayThai began to stage International MuayThai festivals under the naming of the Amazing MuayThai Festival with the inaugural event taking place in Calgary, Canada, consisting of 400 attendees and 130 athletes competing. The second Amazing MuayThai festival took place in the Thai seaside resort city of Hua Hin, Thailand, attended by 300 people and 140 athletes competing. The third Amazing MuayThai festival took place in Venice, Italy, in June 2023 attended by 1200 people with 449 athletes competing. The fourth Amazing MuayThai festival is scheduled to take place at Bangkok’s famed Lumpinee Stadium from February 2-5, 2024, with an expected attendance of over 1500 people.