Vietnam to send 6 MMA fighters to 33rd SEA Games in Thailand

For the first time in the history of the SEA Games, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) will be included as an official sport.

Three male and three female fighters will compete in various weight classes, according to the Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation.

Notably, four of the selected fighters are reigning champions from the Lion Championship, Vietnam’s MMA competition.

As a member of the men’s team, Pham Van Nam from Ho Chi Minh City will compete in the traditional 56kg weight class.

Born in 1992, Nam is a seasoned jujitsu practitioner and the first holder of the 56kg title at the Lion Championship.

Joining him is Tran Ngoc Luong, also from Ho Chi Minh City, who will fight in the modern MMA 60kg category.

The 32-year-old fighter has a strong background in jujitsu and has won several national gold medals.

The other fighter is Quang Van Minh from Da Nang City, central Vietnam, who will compete in the 65kg modern MMA division.

Born in 1997, Minh is currently training in Hanoi.

The women’s team includes Le Ngoc Thu from Ho Chi Minh City, who will compete in the traditional 54kg weight class, Duong Thi Thanh Binh from Thai Nguyen Province also in the 54kg class, and Nguyen Vu Quynh Hoa, from Thai Nguyen, who will represent Vietnam in the 60kg division.

The MMA delegation will be led by team manager Tong Thi Ngoc Hoa, along with coaches Mai Thanh Ba and Phan Anh Yen.

The 33rd SEA Games will take place from December 9 to 20 in Bangkok, Chonburi, and Songkhla, Thailand.

The Vietnamese sports delegation aims to win between 80 and 100 gold medals.

According to the Sports Authority of Vietnam, Vietnam is set to send one of its largest-ever delegations to the 33rd SEA Games, with more than 1,000 athletes, coaches, medical staff, experts, and officials expected to participate.