World Lethwei Federation | The Art of 9 Limbs

The Sport

What Is Lethwei?

Born in Myanmar, South-East Asia, Lethwei is a full-contact striking art built on striking, clinching, and throwing — fought bareknuckle with only tape and gauze.

Fighters strike with fists, elbows, knees, and feet — and unlike nearly every combat sport on earth, the headbutt is a legal weapon. That ninth point of contact gives Lethwei its name: The Art of 9 Limbs. Extremely brutal, extremely entertaining, and extremely rich in culture.

လက်ဝှေ့ မြန်မာ · Born in Myanmar · Ready for the World

2Fists

2Elbows

2Knees

2Feet

1Head

9Limbs

The 9th Limb

President

“

Lethwei is extreme in many ways: extremely brutal, extremely entertaining, and extremely rich in culture. While Lethwei was born in Myanmar, we want to present it to the world. At the WLF we aim to elevate the ancestral Art of 9 Limbs, and we promise to work relentlessly to bring pride to the people of Myanmar.

Mr. Andi Egeberg President · World Lethwei Federation

Our Story

Milestones of a Global Movement

From a single seminar in Denmark to sanctioned world championship fights across three continents.

2018

The Spark in Scandinavia

Danish businessman Andi Egeberg invites Lethwei world champion Dave Leduc to Denmark and organizes the country's first-ever Lethwei seminar.

2019

The Federation Is Born

Egeberg establishes the Danish Lethwei Federation and founds the World Lethwei Federation, headquartered in Copenhagen — the international governing body for amateur and professional Lethwei worldwide.

2020

History in America

In partnership with the Wyoming Combat Sports Commission, the WLF sanctions the first-ever Lethwei fight — and first Lethwei world championship — on US soil, as Dave Leduc defends his traditional world title against Cyrus Washington in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

2022

Europe's First World Championship

The WLF sanctions the first-ever Lethwei world championship in Europe: Michal Košík of Slovakia versus Canada's Daniel Larivière in Brezno, Slovakia — as the Slovak Lethwei Association drives rapid growth across Eastern Europe.

2023

The Red Belt Era Begins

The WLF unveils its inaugural Red Belt for the world title fight between Ivan Hatala and Artur Saladiak. Saladiak wins by fourth-round TKO to become the first WLF Lightweight Champion.

The Red Belt Roll of Honour

WLF Champions & Title Fights

Every world title fight under the WLF banner is officially sanctioned — from Myanmar's traditional rules to the modern Red Belt era.

Openweight · King of Lethwei Dave Leduc, King of Lethwei

Traditional World Champion

Dave Leduc

Canada

Headlined the first-ever sanctioned Lethwei world championship on US soil — Cheyenne, Wyoming, 2020.

Lightweight · Inaugural Red Belt Boss Fight Night — Gondzala vs Košík

First WLF Red Belt Champion

Artur Saladiak

Poland

Defeated Ivan Hatala by fourth-round TKO on July 8, 2023 to claim the first-ever WLF Red Belt.

Title Fight · Europe Championship title fight promo

Your Division · The Future

The Next Champion

Worldwide

New divisions and world title fights are sanctioned as Lethwei expands to new nations. The Red Belt awaits.

Sanctioning & Tradition

The Rules of Engagement

The WLF enforces the traditions, rules, and regulations of Lethwei worldwide. With the most demanding ruleset in combat sports, Lethwei is legal in only a handful of countries outside Myanmar — making official sanctioning the backbone of the sport's global growth.