Dave Leduc has officially vacated his three Lethwei titles for an opportunity to compete for the World Lethwei Championship (WLC) belt.
The self-proclaimed “King of Lethwei” announced the news during a press conference earlier this week.
“On March 9, 2019, I signed an exclusive contract with World Lethwei Championship (WLC). I like their version of bringing high-quality shows, exciting fights and they have partnered up with Canal + and UFC Fight Pass to expand Lethwei to the world.”
“This means that I will no longer be able to defend my other titles, so I have decided to vacate the MLWC title, the Air KBZ Aung Lan champion title, and the Lethwei in Japan title. They are now vacant and up for grabs.”
Leduc has defended his Lethwei World Championship seven times under traditional rules and remains undefeated in the sport. He will remain the openweight Myanmar Lethwei World Champion.
In order for the sport to expand worldwide, “The Nomad” acknowledges that he must make noise on a global stage, such as UFC Fight Pass. He previously explained his decision to join World Lethwei Championship to The Body Lock.
“It’s an honor to be able to hold all of these titles at the same time. I sacrificed blood, sweat and tears to get to the top of Lethwei, and these titles are my rewards. Now my focus is the WLC belt.”
The World Lethwei Championship has been the premier promotion for Lethwei for the past three years, and its recent deal with UFC Fight Pass is a monumental move for the sport.
Leduc doesn’t plan on stopping here – he plans to provide growth for Myanmar’s economy, begging citizens to back the sport.
“The more Myanmar Lethwei grows, the more the Myanmar economy grows. It will benefit the hotels, businesses, street vendors: everyone. I warmly welcome people from all over the world to come train and visit our country. And I encourage every citizen of Myanmar to support the local and regional Lethwei events.”
His debut for the WLC is expected to take place in August for the title, with rumors already beginning to circulate to who his first opponent may be. A fourth fight with Tun Tun Min, the man Leduc won his Golden Belt from, is a fight that fans would certainly be interested in seeing again.