Written by Charlie Penwick
On May 26, the 2022 IFMA Senior World Championships will kick off in Abu Dhabi. IFMA’s premier event will have the Elite and Under 23 divisions battle for their divisions’ prestigious gold medals. With IFMA being the main governing body for international Muaythai, this event is the pinnacle of amatuer Thai boxing. Athletes from around 100 nations are sending their best Muaythai fighters to compete in the nine-day tournament. In addition to the honor of bringing an IFMA World Championship home to their country, gold medalists automatically qualify for 2023’s World Combat Games in Riyadh.
The USMF is sending eight of its top athletes to represent the USA. They are led and coached by two respected figures in Muaythai; Rami Zaidan Ibrahim and Aziz Nabih. Also accompanying the team is USMF Vice President Marcy Maxwell.
The American female athletes are as follows:
- Angela Bahr at 51kg Elite
- Ashley Tiner at 54kg Elite
- Tierra Brandt at 57kg U23
- Erin Clayton at 63.5kg Elite.
For the males:
- David Fischer at 57kg U23
- Jibril Omer at 60kg U23
- Joseph Mueller at 63.5kg Elite
- Aaron Ortiz at 86kg Elite
All of USA Muaythai’s athletes are coming fresh from fighting in the World Game’s Qualifiers and are ready to keep their momentum rolling. The team is prepared for the difficult challenges of a multi-day tournament, including the possibility of cutting weight and fighting multiple times each day. Persevering through injury, pain and discomfort in this environment is absolutely necessary.
Each of the American athletes faces tough opposition in their respective divisions, with Jibril Omer and Angela Bahr fighting in the most populated brackets of their genders. However none of this deters any of the attending athletes from dreaming of gold. Overcoming these obstacles and maintaining composure is what Muaythai is all about, and the American athletes are surely eager to test themselves against the best competition in the world this year in Abu Dhabi.
Be sure to tune in to enjoy some great fights and support America’s top Muaythai athletes on the world’s highest stage. The tournament will be streamed on IFMA’s youtube channel or on their Facebook beginning on May 26th.