UAE Open Muay Thai Championship to begin on Friday with 599 athletes

The UAE Open Muay Thai Championship returns to Mubadala Dome at Al Jazira club on Friday, bringing together 599 male and female athletes from 75 clubs for three days of competition across 86 weight categories.

Organized by the UAE Muay Thai and Kickboxing Federation, the championship is one of the largest national gatherings of Muay Thai talent this year, with 38 referees officiating bouts that run through Sunday.

The scale of the entry, spanning youth, junior, U-23 and senior divisions, signals the growing depth of Muay Thai’s competitive base in the UAE and underscores the federation’s strategy of building a year-round calendar that develops athletes from the grassroots upward.

Weigh-ins and medical checks began on Wednesday at the two approved venues: the UAE Muay Thai and Kickboxing Federation headquarters in Abu Dhabi, and Tiger Kickboxing Gym at Dubai Oasis.

The competition at Mubadala Dome, Al Jazira Club, will kick off on Friday, with doors opening at 1pm and bouts for the 8–16 age categories starting at 2pm. On Saturday, doors open at 10am with the semi-finals scheduled to begin at 11am The final day, Sunday, will feature weigh-ins for the 16–17, U-23, and seniors categories at 9am, followed by doors opening at 10am. Finals and third-place playoffs will commence at 11am, concluding with the crowning of the champions.

Speaking ahead of the event, Ali Khouri, Board Member of the UAE Muay Thai and Kickboxing Federation, said: The level of participation we’re seeing, 599 athletes from 75 clubs, speaks to where Muay Thai is heading in the UAE. This is a sport with real depth in our community now, and the championship gives our athletes a stage that matches their ambition.”

He added: “The Open format is designed to bring emerging talent and established competitors into the same arena. That’s how skills are sharpened, how rivalries are built, and how the next generation of UAE champions is identified.”

He continued: “Every championship we organize feeds into a wider pathway from club gyms to national teams to international podiums. This event is a key step in that journey, and the energy around it shows the federation’s plan is working.”

Established in May 2017, the UAE Muay Thai and Kickboxing Federation is the official governing body for both sports in the UAE.

The federation develops the technical, cultural and community foundations of Muay Thai and Kickboxing across the country, while preparing national teams capable of competing at the highest amateur and professional levels regionally and internationally.