Written by Michael Corley
The USA Muaythai team assembled on the beautiful University of Alabama Birmingham campus alongside 3,550 athletes, 34 sports, ten days of competition, 223 gold medals, and 375,000 spectators.
Athletes were to make weight each morning and fight later in the afternoon against the World’s best!
DAY 1
The first day of fights had the USA Teams 48kg Janet Garcia take on Finland in a high paced action fight! Janet took the win via decision.
Second fight of the day was USA’s 51kg Angela Bahr. Bahr came into this tournament with an impressive silver medal showing at the IFMA WC in Abu Dhabi just months prior. Her draw was against multiple time world champion from Slovakia. The bout was locked up one round a piece going into the final and the Slovakian athlete slightly edged the match and would eventually go on to Gold Medal in the tournament.
America’s top 57kg fighter Austin Amell drew Jordan in the first round of the tournament. The fight started slow for both fighters before out of nowhere Amell was caught with a spinning technique that ended the fight. Amell was ok, and was able to leave the ring area with no assistance.
Joseph Meuller had Korea next in a locked up fight going into the final round. Meuller was able to dig deep and find his range with well timed elbows and secured the victory.
Ashley Thiner a former IFMA Gold Medalist at the WMAM, took on for her third time Czech Republic and dominated from bell to bell in a 30-27 win.
The 67 kg Division was a stacked division and a big order for Travis Petralba but he was ready for the challenge! His first bout was against a very experienced IFMA fighter from Hungary. In the opening sequences Petralba started strong with some nice hooks that got his opponents attention but not enough to take the round. As the fight wore on the Hungarian got more comfortable and was able to stop the fight in the third round.
Charlesy Maner drew Austria in her bout of the tournament and put forth a great performance with well timed kicks and dominated her way to a decision.
In a back and forth fight Matt Baker took the decision against Czech Republic. Baker let his hands go and landed a shot that lit up the stadium and sent his opponents mouthpiece flying! Baker would win the decision and drew many from the crowd looking for a photo afterwards!
Day 2
USA’s first three bouts of the day were against Ukraine. Up first Joseph Meuller took on a 2x IFMA world champion Igor Liubchenko. Meuller opened well nicely placed body kicks but the Ukrainian fighter was able to weather and find his groove to take all three rounds.
Janet Garcia took on Anastasiia Kulinich in a back and forth battle. The Ukrainian utilized her height to secure the clinch and score in the first, but Janet was able to turn the tide in the second combinations and sharp low kicks. The final round both athletes traded and the eventual Gold Medalist Kulinich won the decision.
Jordan Weiland took on a tough European champion and lost a decision.
After dropping the first 3 bouts of the day Ashley Thiner came in and won all 3 rounds against Australia’s 3X World Champion Yoland Schmidt. Thiner used good movement and exploded with punches to knees throughout the bout.
Fresh off her Under 23 Gold Medal in Abu Dhabi Tierra Brandt came into her first bout of The World Games and won convincingly over 3 rounds against Hong Kong.
One of the local Birmingham crowd favorites Matt Baker returned against 2022’s IFMA European Gold Medalist and IFMA World Champion Lukasz Radosz from Poland. Baker was sharp with combinations and great clinch work winning all 3 rounds!
Aaron Ortiz got the bout he was waiting for in a rematch with current WMC world champion Ilyass Habibali from UAE. The two met in Dubai earlier in the year with Habibali winning a narrow decision. Ortiz was on his “A” game taking all 3 rounds against the champion displaying all 8 limbs of Muaythai!
Erin Clayon fought over 3 rounds with Australia champion Zoe Putorak losing via decision.
Charlesy closed the day out with a body kick mastery course defeating Hungary 2 rounds to 1. The American got slightly outscored in the first round but found her groove in rounds 2 and 3 timing great body kicks to slow her opponent down.
Day 3
Unlike IFMA WC, The World Games had the athletes fight for the Bronze medal. USA Muaythai had 8 in the final round battling for medals!
After going 3 rounds with soon to be Gold Medalist of The World Games Meuller was only able to go 1 round in his bronze medal bout losing to UAE.
In one of the tournaments most anticipated bouts USA’s Tierra Brandt took on female p4p #1 Iman Barlow from Great Britain. The bout was back and forth and one of the best fights of the tournament. Round 1 Brandt saw success in countering kicks and landing crisp boxing to win the opening round. Round 2 Barlow brought on more pressure with the kicks and won a very close round. Round 3 was another close one with 1 judge giving it to Brandt and 2 judges giving it to Barlow and Brandt getting the Silver Medal. An amazing accomplishment for a 20 year old!
Jordan Weiland’s opponent was not able to continue in the tournament which gave Weiland the Bronze.
Erin Clayton delivered her best performance to date against Thailand winning all three rounds! Clayton controlled the striking and the clinch throughout the entire bout taking the Bronze.
Janet Garcia’s opponent was not able to continue in the tournament which gave Garcia the Bronze.
Matt Baker took on 5X IFMA Gold Medalist Oleh Pryimachov from Ukraine and lost by decision taking the Silver Medal. Baker was the only athlete of the tournament to go the distance with the Ukrainian athlete.
Ashley Thiner took on the current WMC world champion Sveva Melillo from Italy. Thiner came out guns blazing landing strong hands and knees and winning the first round big. Melillo was able to weather the storm and take rounds 2 and 3. Thiner as an amateur took on 2 professional world champions and walked away with the hard earned Silver.
Charlsey Maner took on Multiple time World Champion Nili Block from Israel. Coming into the bout Block was on a 25 fight IFMA win streak. Block tried tying up the American but ate many well timed body and head kicks along the way giving Maner the first round. Though moving forward in the second, Block wasn’t executing effective muaythai scores giving Maner the second. Up 2 rounds Maner continued to show the better Muaythai techniques in round 3 taking all three rounds and winning USA’s first World Games Medal and first Women’s Gold in a WC since 2009! What an amazing accomplishment!
Aaron Ortiz closed the show in a Gold Medal match against Portugal athlete Diogo Calado. Ortiz came out strong winning the first two rounds decisively using all around techniques against the switching stance Calado. Ortiz would go on and win by decision, taking home the second Gold Medal of the day and becoming the first Male Athlete to win a Gold Medal in Muaythai at The World Games.
Recap
2 Gold Medals
3 Silver Medals
3 Bronze Medals
IFMA Best Wai Kru Award: Janet Garcia
IFMA Certificate of Appreciation Media Excellence
Lead: Jeff Dojillo
Pari Ayafar
Dustin Bollinger
ITO Official: Joshua Ferraro
In 2022 Joshua Ferraro was awarded as an ITO Official with IFMA. This was the first time an American has been awarded the position. USMF would like to congratulate him on his efforts.
Medical Team:Omar Kennedy, Jacob Melgar
USMF would like to thank these two for keeping our athletes in the games! Their guidance and application before and after competition is invaluable to our athletes.
USMF Team Manager: Desiree Brandt
Keeping everyone in line with their weight and bout number! Some of the most important elements of the tournament are handled by the best Team Manager!
The USMF would like to thank all the athletes, coaches, officials, medical team, administration, and donors for an amazing week in Birmingham, Alabama for The World Games.