MuayThai Premier League Makes International Debut in Long Beach

Twenty-Four Of The World's Top Fighters Will Descend Upon The Walter Pyramid In Long Beach For September 2 Event

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Aug 24, 2011, 03:07 ET

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Martial arts fans will have the opportunity to see 24 of the world's top MuayThai fighters in action on September 2 when the MuayThai Premier League (MPL) makes its international debut at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif.

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The MuayThai Premier League, which was introduced earlier this year by former five-time world champion and League President and CEO Clifton Brown, is the first forum for the sport's most skilled athletes to compete on an international stage in a structured league format. The Long Beach event is one of three MuayThai events set to take place in the greater Los Angeles area over the course of an eight-month season and promises to be the biggest event in the sport's storied history.

"MuayThai has seen a steady increase in global popularity among fighters and fans in the past decade," said Clifton Brown, MPL President and CEO. "While elements of this fighting style are used in other martial arts leagues, we felt it was time to offer true athletes of the sport a venue to showcase MuayThai in its purest form. The new league format, with eight events globally, allows us to provide an exhilarating show for the fans and gives us an avenue to crown the true MuayThai World Champion."

Tickets for the Long Beach event may be purchased at www.TheMPL.tv. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. event. The Walter Pyramid is located at 1250 Bellflower Blvd. in Long Beach.

About MuayThai and the MuayThai Premier League (MPL)

MuayThai, also known as Thai boxing, is an extremely effective and lethal form of martial arts utilizing punches, kicks, knees, and elbows. Originally practiced in the once closed society of Thailand, MuayThai has always flourished in the Asian region and has seen a dramatic increase in international participation over the last 30 years – from the development of professional fighters, to executives incorporating this form of martial arts into their workout routines.

The MPL is a structured league format comprised of five weight divisions – four male, one female – where fighters must earn their place in the finals. With eight competitors in each division, the fighters are split into two pools. In the Round Robin stage, each fighter faces the other three competitors in their group, earning three points for a knockout victory, two points for a decision victory, and one point for a draw. At the conclusion of the Round Robin stage, the top two fighters in each Group will advance to the elimination stage, where the top fighter in Group A will compete against the second place fighter in Group B and vice versa. The winners of these semi-final matches will then advance to the finals to compete for the MPL and WMC World Championships in their respective weight classes. At the conclusion of the season, athletes who advanced to the elimination stage will remain for season two, the following September. Fighters who do not advance to the elimination stage will be replaced with new competitors drafted by the league to compete in the upcoming season.

Weight Divisions

140 lbs/ 63.5 kgs – Super Lightweight (Female)
147 lbs/ 66.7 kgs – Welterweight (Male)
160 lbs/ 72.5 kgs – Middleweight (Male)
182 lbs/ 82.5 kgs – Super Light Heavyweight (Male)
210 lbs/ 95 kgs – Heavyweight (Male)

The MPL boasts an impressive stable of world-renowned fighters, combining to hold more than 220 Championship belts, with eight events across the world over the course of the season.

MPL Season