Ilyass Habibali caps UAE’s record haul with gold in Muaythai World Championships

Emirati wins unanimous decision over Moldavan Artiom Livadari in light heavyweight final

UAE's Ilyass Habibali is declared the winner against Artiom Livadari of Moldova during the finals match of the 81kg division at the IFMA Muaythai World Championships at ADNEC in Abu Dhabi. All pictures: Victor Besa / The National

Ilyass Habibali defeats Artiom Livadari of Moldova.

Ilyass Habibali's fans roar hom on.

Ilyass Habibali in red defeats Artiom Livadari of Moldova.

Ilyass Habibali defeats Artiom Livadari of Moldova.

UAE's Ilyass Habibali defeats Artiom Livadari of Moldova

Ilyass Habibali defeats Artiom Livadari.

Ilyass Habibali won his second gold in the IFMA Muaythai World Championships for the UAE to round off a record medal haul at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on Saturday.

Having made a gold medal-winning debut in the World Championships in Mexico in 2018, Habibali regained his crown with a unanimous decision over Moldavan Artiom Livadari in the 81kg light heavyweight final.

His win in the elite division was the icing on the cake for the hosts after the nation’s youth bagged a record medal haul on the previous night, winning four golds, four silver and three bronze.

Thailand topped the medal table with eight golds, five silver and two bronze. The UAE finished second with five golds, four silvers and three bronze.

“The future of Muaythai in the UAE looks bright after our youngsters topped the Youth Worlds medal table,” Habibali told The National.

“For me, I’m just overwhelmed by the support and motivation I received from my trainers, teammates, management and all the fans who were behind me in this championship.

“The medal that I won when the UAE made their first appearance in the world championship was great but this one was even better because there was a lot of pressure to win, especially with the UAE hosting the event.”

Habibali, 30, dominated and won the verdicts of the judges in all three rounds.

“After my semi-final, my coaches and I watched Artiom’s fights and worked the areas we could exploit. His style was boxing so I managed to score a lot from the clinches and push-kicks from the knee, without allowing much room to move.”

Habibali was also on target with a couple of spinning elbows as well as a few high kicks and a combination of punches.

“As the captain of the team, I had want to lead from the front,” he said. “When I look back at our first appearance in a world championship, we have come a long way.

“Our federation has left no stones unturned to get us to this level. We hosted a great championship and came out with a record medal haul. Obviously we want to keep moving forward.”

Habibali has now gone undefeated in four competitions and will have no time for a break as he prepares for the World Games in Birmingham, USA, from July 7 to 17.

“I’ll be back in training after a week,” he added. “I feel I have come out in pretty good shape from three fights in this championship. My coaches will draw up my training schedule and looking forward to the next competition.”