Foreign champions are increasingly formidable in Thailand!
Foreign champions are increasingly formidable in Thailand!
By Serge Tréfeu (2025)
Since the 1980s, numerous foreign champions have distinguished themselves in the realm of Muay Thai, writing an important page in its history.
Among the pioneers, we remember the legendary Japanese fighter Toshio Fujiwara, the first non-Thai to win a major title in Thailand.
Then came the formidable fighters of the Dutch teams, led by iconic figures such as Ramon Dekkers, Rob Kaman, Peter Smit, and Orlando Wiet, who profoundly influenced the Muay Thai landscape in the 1980s and 1990s.
From the 1990s onwards, French teams took over, imposing a feared and respected style in Thai rings. Names like Jaid Seddak, Fabrice Payen, Dany Bill, Guillaume Kerner, Stephane Nikiema, Morad Sari, Dida Diafat, Khaled Hedbieb, Joel Cesar, Christian Garros, Farid Villaume, Kamel Jemel, Jean-Charles Skarbowsky and Mustapha “Totof” Youssef have flown the French flag high in the stadiums of Bangkok.
Australian fighters were not to be outdone, with notable champions like John Wayne Parr, Bruce Macfie, and Soren Eminentair also competing against the best Thai fighters.
All these pioneers paved the way for a new generation of foreign fighters.
And for the past ten years, foreign Muay Thai fighters have been steadily gaining ground. With more and more of them entering Thai rings, they no longer hesitate to challenge—and sometimes defeat—local champions on their own turf.
This rise in prominence raises the question: are Thai stars under threat in the very birthplace of Muay Thai? Only time will tell. For now, Thai fighters largely maintain their supremacy in this ancient martial art.
Foreign champions are still worrying the Muay Thai world in Thailand…
Today, some influential figures in Thai Muay Thai are beginning to seriously question this. Many are now quick to point out that Thai fighters tend to underestimate foreigners, and that this attitude could cost them dearly.
In May 2023, renowned businessman Philip Wong, creator of the Fairtex brand and founder of the prestigious Fairtex Gym, publicly expressed his anger. He addressed the Thai fighters bluntly:
“The Farangs (foreigners) are beating you more and more often, and sometimes severely. They are now winning the titles in our stadiums. You must fight with twice as much heart as they do, otherwise they will become stronger than you in your own national sport…”
A shocking statement that resonated throughout the Muay Thai world.
It must be said that the numbers speak for themselves: since the 2010s, many foreign fighters have won prestigious titles in Thailand. Titles that even some Thais struggle to achieve. The list of these champions from abroad continues to grow, proving that Muay Thai has become a truly international sport—one where the elite level is no longer limited to the Kingdom’s borders…
For over a decade, numerous foreign fighters have achieved the feat of winning the most prestigious Muay Thai titles in Thailand. What was once an exception has become a strong trend: “Farangs” are now making their mark in Bangkok’s biggest stadiums.
Here are the main foreign champions who have emerged in recent years by winning titles and exploded onto the Thai scene during the 2020s:
– Hiroki Ishii (Japan) – Rajadamnern Champion in -140 lbs (2011)
– Damien Alamos (France) – Lumpinee Champion in -140 lbs (2012)
– José Mendonça (Brazil) – Rajadamnern Champion in -147 lbs (2013)
– Kaito Fukuda (Japan) – Thailand Champion in -112 lbs (2015)
– Takuya Imamura (Japan) – Rajadamnern Champion in -154 lbs (2016)
– Genji Umeno (Japan) – Rajadamnern Champion in -135 lbs (2016)
– Youssef Boughanem (Belgium/Morocco) – Lumpinee Champion (-160 lbs, 2018), Rajadamnern Champion (-160 lbs, 2016), and Omnoi Champion (-160 lbs, 2015)
– Rafi Bohic (France) – Lumpinee Champion in -147 lbs (2017)
– Fabio Pinca (France) – Rajadamnern Champion in -147 lbs (2017)
– Nadaka Yoshinari (Japan) – Lumpinee, Rajadamnern Champion, and Thailand Champion in -105, -112, and -115 lbs (titles won between 2019 and 2024)
– Ryuya Okuwaki (Japan) – Rajadamnern Champion in -105 lbs (2019)
– Shinya Ishige (Japan) – Rajadamnern Champion in -160 lbs (2019)
– Jimmy Vienot (France) – Lumpinee Champion in -160 lbs (2019)
– Amir Nasri (Malaysia) – Omnoi Champion in -140 lbs (2019)
– Luis Cajaiba (Brazil) – Thailand Champion in -154 lbs (2019)
– Julio Lobo (Brazil) – Omnoi Champion in -147 lbs (2021)
– Ognjen Topić (United States) – Omnoi Champion in -135 lbs (2022)
– Daniel Rodriguez (Switzerland) – Rajadamnern Champion in -154 lbs (2022)
– Alessandro Sara (Italy) – Thailand Champion in -147 lbs (2022)
– Sajad Sattari (Iran) – Rajadamnern Champion in -147 lbs (2023)
– Isaac Mohamed aka Petchnung Petch Muay Thai (France) – Rajadamnern Champion in -108 lbs (2023) at only 17 years old
– Emerson Bento (Brazil) – Rajadamnern Champion in -160 lbs (2023)
– Ruach Gordon (Israel) – Omnoi Champion in -130 lbs (2023)
– Joe Ryan (England) – Rajadamnern Champion in -160 lbs (2023)
And among them all, the Japanese phenomenon Nadaka Yoshinari stands out: after conquering the Lumpinee and Rajadamnern belts in -105 lbs, he became Thailand champion in -112 lbs in 2023, then won the Rajadamnern title again in -115 lbs in 2024, confirming his status as a true prodigy.
Other foreign fighters, although they didn’t win an official belt in Bangkok’s grand stadiums, still distinguished themselves by defeating numerous Thai champions on their own soil.
Among them are England’s Liam Harrison, Italy’s Mathias Gallo Cassarino, Belarus’s Andrei Kulebin, France’s Antoine Pinto, Brazil’s Cosmo Alexandre, Australia’s Chadd Collins, America’s Sylvie Von Duuglas-Ittu, and Greece’s Fani Peloumpi.
Also, within the ONE Championship organization, Thai stars have been shaken up at home…
The year 2023 was marked by a series of shock defeats for several iconic figures of Thai Muay Thai, particularly at galas organized by ONE Championship in Bangkok. These setbacks, often by knockout, highlighted the rise of foreign fighters among the world’s elite.
Former world champion Superbon Singha Mawynn was knocked out in the second round by the formidable Chingiz Allazov, Ferrari Fairtex suffered a brutal second-round knockout defeat against Brazilian Fabio Reis, Muay Thai living legend Nong-O Gaiyanghadao was knocked out in the first round by England’s Jonathan Haggerty, and another big Thai star, Sangmanee Sor Tienpo, was also knocked out in the first round by Fabio Reis.
Foreigners are no longer content to simply compete; they’re increasingly dominating on Thai soil, even against legends.
Since 2020, the ONE Championship circuit—now a global benchmark in Muay Thai and kickboxing—has seen a wave of foreign champions capture the most prestigious belts:
– Ilias Ennahachi (Netherlands): ONE Kickboxing World Champion (2019)
– Alaverdi Ramazanov (Russia): ONE Kickboxing World Champion (2019)
– Janet Todd (United States): ONE Kickboxing World Champion (2020)
– Alicia Rodriguez (Brazil): ONE Muay Thai World Champion (2020)
– Smilla Sundell (Sweden): ONE Muay Thai World Champion (2022)
– Joseph Lasiri (Italy): ONE Muay Thai World Champion (2022)
– Jonathan Di Bella (Canada): ONE Kickboxing World Champion (2022)
– Jonathan Haggerty (United Kingdom): ONE Muay Thai and Kickboxing World Champion (2023)
– Chingiz Allazov (Belarus): ONE Kickboxing World Champion (2023)
– Roman Kryklia (Ukraine): ONE Kickboxing World Champion (2019 and 2023)
– Regian Eersel (Suriname): ONE Kickboxing World Champion (2024)
– Alexis Nicolas (France): ONE Kickboxing World Champion (2024)
– Jackie Buntan (United States): ONE Kickboxing World Champion (2024)
These victories confirm one thing: Muay Thai is no longer just a Thai affair, but a top-level global sport. Talent can now be found on every continent.
On September 22, 2024, a historic page was written at the TV7 Stadium in Bangkok. For the first time since the stadium’s creation, a non-Thai fighter won the official belt. And it wasn’t just anyone: young Frenchman Sandro Bosi, aka Alek Singha Mawynn, was only 15 years old when he won the -105 lbs belt. He defeated another French prodigy, Nahyan Mohamed (aka Petchsam Petchmuaythai), in an all-French duel, unprecedented at this level in Thailand.
Another French performance in 2024: Brice Delval, long considered a hopeful on the world stage, confirmed his potential by winning the Interim belt at Lumpinee Stadium in -150 lbs, defeating the solid Rambo Mor Rattanabandit.
Among the most promising young stars in Thai rings, Nabil Anane continues to impress. On January 24, 2025, this Muay Thai prodigy delivered one of his finest performances, knocking out Scottish puncher Nico Carrillo to earn the ONE Interim World Champion title in Muay Thai at -145 lbs.
Born in Thailand to a Thai mother, Nabil Anane is also the heir to French culture through his father, a Frenchman of Algerian descent who grew up in Marseille. Although he developed in the cradle of Muay Thai, Nabil Anane embodies this new generation of fighters with an international profile, capable of establishing themselves both in Bangkok and in global organizations like the ONE Championship.
The year 2025 marked a truly historic moment for women’s Muay Thai. On February 22, 2025, Brazilian Bárbara Aguiar became the first foreign woman to win the belt at Bangkok’s legendary Rajadamnern Stadium, defeating Estonian Marie Ruumet for the -118 lbs title.
Already in 2024, Bárbara Aguiar made waves by becoming the first foreign woman to win the prestigious RWS (Rajadamnern World Series) tournament, defeating the best local and international fighters!
