Mubadala Dome to host UAE Open Muay Thai Championship

ABU DHABI: The UAE Open Muay Thai Championship returns to Mubadala Dome at Al-Jazira Club on Friday, May 15, 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 until Sunday, May 17.

The scale of the entry, spanning youth, junior, under-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, May 13, at two approved venues: the UAE Muay Thai and Kickboxing Federation headquarters in Abu Dhabi, and Tiger Kickboxing Gym at Dubai Oasis.

Speaking ahead of the event, Ali Khouri, board member of the UAE Muay Thai and Kickboxing Federation, said: “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.”

“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.”