The year 2018 is the 2nd year in the history of the

World Lethwei Championship World Lethwei Championship (also known as WLC) was a Lethwei promotion based in Yangon, Myanmar. The promotion brought the millennia-old Burmese martial of Lethwei to UFC Fight Pass and showcased it to the world. The WLC events combined the hi ...

, a

Lethwei Lethwei (; International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) or Burmese boxing is a Full contact fighting, full contact combat sport originating from Myanmar and is considered as one of the most brutal martial arts in the world.} * * * * * * Lethwe ...

promotion based in

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

List of events

WLC 4: Bareknuckle-King

''WLC 4: Bareknuckle-King'' was a

event held on February 17, 2018

Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium Wunnatheikdi Indoor Stadium() is an indoor stadium located inside Zabuthiri Sports Complex in Naypyidaw. It is composed of Stadium (A), Stadium (B) and Stadium (C). Stadium (A) and (C) have a capacity of 3,000 and Stadium (B) has a capacity of 5,0 ...

's capital, Naypitaw.

Background

This event marked the first title defence of middleweight Lethwei world champion

Too Too Too Too (6 October 1990 – 26 April 2023; ) was a Burmese Lethwei fighter who competed in World Lethwei Championship. He was the former WLC Middleweight World champion and was undefeated under traditional Lethwei rules, holding the 75&nbs ...

. For the occasion, he faced

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

's Vasyl Sorokin, who was one of the fastest rising stars in the world of

kickboxing Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid Martial arts, martial art and Boxing (disambiguation), boxing type based on punch (combat), punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, norma ...

. Sorokin had already been in more than 20 major fights and had recently scored a victory over Thai superstar

Sudsakorn Sor Klinmee Sudsakorn Sor Klinmee (Thai language, Thai: สุดสาคร ส.กลิ่นมี; born August 25, 1986) is a Thai Muay Thai kickboxer and current Lion Fight Middleweight Champion. He is the former Thai Fight Kard Chuek Middleweight Cha ...

to earn him the title shot. After 5 rounds, Too Too won by unanimous decision over Sorokin and retained his title.

Fight Card

WLC 5: Knockout War

''WLC 5: Knockout War'' was a

event held on June 2, 2018 in Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium in Naypitaw,

Background

Artur Saladiak and

Saw Ba Oo Saw Ba Oo () is a Burmese Lethwei fighter and mixed martial artist. He is signed to the World Lethwei Championship and ONE Championship's Lightweight division. Lethwei record , - style="background:#c5d2ea;" , 2019-03-12 , , Draw , , align= ...

contested the main event for the Light Middleweight World LethweiChampionship. Artur Saladiak defeated Saw Ba Oo by knockout to become the first Light Middleweight WLC Champion. 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. 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

WLC 6: Heartless Tigers

''WLC 6: Heartless Tigers'' was a

event held on September 29, 2018 at the

Thuwunna Stadium The Thuwunna Youth Training Center Stadium (), simply known as the Thuwunna Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Yangon, Myanmar. It is the venue of choice for most national and international Association football, football and track and ...

Yangon Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...

Background

This marked WLC's return in Yangon for the first time in 2018, after two events in Myanmar's capital. The event saw the debut of

Kun Khmer Kun Khmer ( ), or Pradal Serey ( ), is a combat sport that originated in Cambodia. The sport consists of stand up striking and clinch fighting, where the objective is to knock an opponent out, force a technical knockout, or win a match by point ...

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 Mite Yine (; born April 26, 1992) is a Burmese Lethwei fighter who competes in the World Lethwei Championship's Featherweight division. He is a former Lethwei Golden Belt champion, having won the title in 2015 and 2016. Yine has also represen ...

. In the main event, Lethwei superstar Soe Lin Oo made his WLC return against Zhao Wen Wen of China. Soe Lin Oo defeated Zhao Wen Wen by knockout in the second round.

Fight Card

References

{{reflist World Lethwei Championship events 2010s in Lethwei 2018 in martial arts 2018 in kickboxing 2018 in Burmese sport

List of events

WLC 4: Bareknuckle-King

Background

Fight Card

WLC 5: Knockout War

Background

Fight Card

WLC 6: Heartless Tigers

Background

Fight Card

See also

References