Written By Charlie Penwick
Two of the USMF’s best athletes, featherweight Rebekah Irwin and light heavyweight Aaron Ortiz, competed in Dubai on February 26th at the UAM‘s (United Arab Muay Thai) Muay Thai Night Expo.
The UAM is committed to increasing Muaythai’s prestige and quality, particularly in the Middle East. The WMC (World Muay Thai Council), one of the oldest and most prestigious Muaythai sanctioning bodies, sanctioned their event. The winners of the UAM event on February 26th qualified to compete in the upcoming World Games in Birmingham, Alabama. The Americans competed in two of the four WMC World Title fights held.
Irwin went the distance with her opponent, the talented French fighter Anaelle Angerville. Angerville pressured Irwin, who couldn’t keep ring control despite consistently firing strikes. Irwin used an elbow to open a cut on the bridge of her opponent’s nose near the end of the fifth round, but it was not enough to force a stoppage. Irwin displayed skill and heart but could not snatch victory at the last moment.
Aaron Ortiz also fought all five rounds with Ilyass Habibali, a strong fighter from the UAE. Habibali’s punching and forward movement kept Ortiz on the back foot throughout the fight. Ortiz defended well and tried hard to counterattack, but he gave up too much ground to Habibali, who won the WMC Intercontinental title last year. Ortiz weathered the storm in his professional debut and showed promise for his future pro fighting career.
While neither Ortiz nor Irwin took home the win on February 26th, they both put on performances to be proud of. In just two weeks time, they will have another chance to qualify for this summer’s World Games at the USA Muaythai 2022 World Games Qualifier in Denver.