UAE's Ilyass Habibali aims to regain golden touch at Muaythai World Championships

The UAE's Ilyass Habibali is hoping to replicate the success he enjoyed at the beginning of his career as he aims for glory at the Muaythai World Championships.

Habibali stunned the martial arts world when he won gold at the 2018 IFMA World Championships in Mexico, where the UAE was making its debut at the top level.

Since then, the Emirati has appeared twice in the World Championships – in 2019 and 2021 in Bangkok – but hasn’t been able to replicate his gold medal-winning performance.

Habibali, 30, believes that all could change this time at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

After getting the better of his first opponent, Veejaye Agathe of Mauritius, by unanimous decision, he is confident of going all the way in the 81kg light heavyweight division in front of home fans.

“Competing in familiar surroundings as the host nation, I feel I’m going into this world championships in the best possible physical shape and mindset,” Habibali, who faces Enis Yunusoglu of Turkey in the quarter-finals on Tuesday, told The National.

“I have had three successful outings in the lead-up and trained hard over the last two months for this World Championships.

“I have cleared my first hurdle, the first fight is never easy. It was like a final for me. To get that behind me was a relief ... to get over the nerves. My focus now is on the second opponent.”

Ilyas Habibali, right, lands a kick on Damian Darker. Courtesy UAE Muaythai and Kickboxing Federation

Habibali took part in three fights in the lead-up to the World Championships. He won the World Muaythai Council (WMC) intercontinental light heavyweight belt, defeating Spaniard Angel Marquez, at Muaythai Pro 6 Championships in Dubai in June 2021 to earn a ticket to the World Games in