Muay Thai Organizations: IFMA, USA Muaythai, the Stadiums, Pros and the Olympics

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A team bus outside an arena in Europe: American teenagers in matching jackets, Mongkon headbands packed carefully in their bags, about to fight for medals at an IFMA world championship. In Bangkok, a pro from a camp outside the city makes weight for a Friday night card at Lumpinee. In Delaware, a coach signs his students up for the national tournament. Muay Thai runs on a web of federations, stadiums, promotions and commissions. This page sorts out the Muay Thai organizations that matter, how fighters move from the gym to the world stage, and where the sport stands with the Olympics, as of 2026.

New to the sport? Start at our Muay Thai hub. Kickboxing’s bodies (WAKO, GLORY) are on the kickboxing organizations page.

Who’s who at a glance

Organization	Level	What it does
IFMA	World, amateur	World federation for Muay Thai; writes the amateur rules; fully recognized by the IOC (2021)
USA Muaythai	US, amateur	Sole US national federation of IFMA, recognized under the USOPC; national tournaments, Team USA
Rajadamnern and Lumpinee	Thailand, pro	Bangkok’s two main stadiums for modern Muay Thai, with the sport’s most famous titles
ONE Championship	Pro	Singapore-based promotion; Muay Thai, kickboxing, MMA; weekly ONE Friday Fights at Lumpinee
WBC Muaythai	Pro	Sanctioning body for pro Muay Thai title fights
State athletic commissions	US, pro (some amateur)	License fighters and supervise events; many use ABC model rules

IFMA: the world federation

The International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) was established in 1992 and has 146 member national federations. It writes the amateur rule book (most recently revised in May 2026), sanctions competitions directly or through national and continental federations, and runs world championships for elite, youth (U8 to U24) and masters divisions in full-contact, semi-contact and cultural disciplines. Each country may enter one athlete per division. IFMA applies the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list, requires a medical declaration and daily medical checks, and runs the “Khan” grading system: athletes, coaches and officials all need a minimum Khan level to take part, from Khan 1 for U8 fighters to Khan 6 for elite and Khan 10 for a team’s senior coach.

The road to Olympic recognition, in IFMA’s own timeline: a letter of intent to the IOC in April 2012; recognition by the International World Games Association in 2013 and inclusion as an official World Games medal sport in 2014; recognition by FISU, the university sports federation, in 2015; provisional IOC recognition on December 6, 2016; and full recognition at the 138th IOC Session in Tokyo in July 2021.

IFMA events in 2026

• IFMA All Disciplines Championships: U24 and senior elite fighters reached the finals in September 2026.
• IFMA Youth World Championships: scheduled for Greece in November 2026, for national youth teams selected at home.
• ISF Muaythai World Championships: a school-sport championship held with the International School Sport Federation in Malaysia in June 2026, with 1,482 athletes entered.

In the United States: USA Muaythai

USA Muaythai is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and, in its own words, “the sole US National Federation for IFMA” and recognized under the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Its mission is to advance the sport in the US through education and to develop athletes who can compete at the elite international level. It sanctions national and international tournaments, pro-am events and club competitions for youth and adults, runs officials’ courses and lists member gyms. Its Grand National Tournament (the second edition was held March 13-16, 2025, in Wilmington, Delaware) is the main national event, and it selects Team USA for IFMA championships.

Other sanctioning bodies run amateur shows in the US too, and some states regulate amateur Muay Thai through their athletic commissions (Minnesota, for example, publishes amateur Muay Thai rules). Before your first bout, ask who sanctions the event, whether a doctor will be ringside, and whether the state oversees it.

Thailand: the stadiums

• Rajadamnern Stadium held its first fight on December 23, 1945. It began as an open-air arena and got a roof in 1951. In late 2022 its operator launched the Rajadamnern World Series (RWS) with modernized rules and TV production, and on July 22, 2022, it hosted the first female Muay Thai bouts in its history.
• Lumpinee Boxing Stadium opened on December 8, 1956, and is run by the Royal Thai Army. It moved to a new building on Ram Inthra Road in 2014, hosted its first female fight card on November 13, 2021, and began hosting ONE Championship events in August 2022.

In Thailand, pro fighters are registered under the Sports Authority of Thailand’s Boxing Board of Control: WBC Muaythai’s rules note that its minimum age there is 16 and fighters must hold an up-to-date boxer’s book. Many Thai fighters start much younger in local bouts, which is a long-running debate inside the country; outside Thailand, WBC Muaythai sets 18 as the minimum age for its pro titles.

Professional promotions and sanctioning bodies

• ONE Championship (Singapore, founded 2011) runs Muay Thai with 4 oz MMA gloves and knockouts by punch, kick, knee or elbow, three 3-minute rounds and five for world titles, and requires a hydration test 24-48 hours before the weigh-in. Its weekly ONE Friday Fights series at Lumpinee began on January 20, 2023, mostly under Muay Thai rules.
• WBC Muaythai sanctions pro title fights: men’s title bouts are five 3-minute rounds with 2 minutes’ rest, gloves are 8 oz up to welterweight and 10 oz above, weigh-ins are 24-30 hours before the fight, and judges score damage, dominance and disruption.
• Rajadamnern World Series is the stadium’s own flagship program (see above).

State athletic commissions and the ABC

In the US, professional Muay Thai is licensed and supervised state by state. The Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) writes model “unified rules” that many commissions adopt; its professional Muay Thai rules, approved in July 2024, use 3-minute rounds, 3 or 5 per bout, with punches, kicks, elbows and knees, and no protective gear on the upper body other than on the hands. Who can fight, at what age and with which medical tests is up to each state, so check yours. Fight-week details are on our fight day page.

World Games, European Games and the Olympics

• World Games: Muay Thai has been an official World Games sport since the 2017 Games and was fought at Chengdu 2025.
• European Games: Muay Thai debuted at Kraków 2023.
• University sport: recognized by FISU since 2015, with Muay Thai in its university world championships.
• The Olympics: IFMA’s full IOC recognition makes Muay Thai part of the Olympic family, but recognition doesn’t put a sport on the Games program by itself. Muay Thai isn’t on the LA28 program, and as of October 2026 no decision on later Games has been announced. IFMA describes its championships as being “on the road to Olympic recognition.”

The pathway, from first class to the world stage

1. Learn in a gym with a qualified coach: technique, fitness, then controlled partner drills.
2. Grade up through the Khan levels if your gym uses IFMA’s system.
3. Join USA Muaythai (or your country’s IFMA member) and fight in club and regional events with full protective gear.
4. Nationals: place at the national tournament to earn a Team USA spot.
5. Internationals: IFMA youth, U24 and senior world championships, the World Games and continental games.
6. Turn pro (adults only), under a state commission in the US or the stadium system in Thailand.

At every step, a good coach controls sparring, and IFMA benches anyone knocked out for at least 30 days. Our rules page has the details, and our training page covers the work in between.

Gear for the road to nationals

Tournament gloves and guards are supplied, but you’ll train in your own. Many Muay Thai gyms use the Fairtex BGV1 glove and curved Thai pads like the Fairtex KPLC5 for pad rounds. A Polar H10 heart-rate strap helps keep easy days easy (see our heart rate monitor guide), and many fighters pack a Hypervolt Go 3 massage gun for travel days (see our massage gun guide).

Muay Thai organizations FAQs

What is the governing body for Muay Thai?

Internationally, the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA), founded in 1992 and fully recognized by the IOC since 2021. In the US, its member is USA Muaythai. Pro events are run by stadiums, promotions and sanctioning bodies, under state commissions in the US.

Will Muay Thai be in the Olympics?

It isn’t on the LA28 program, and no later Games have added it as of October 2026. IFMA has full IOC recognition, and Muay Thai is on the World Games program and was part of the 2023 European Games.

What are Lumpinee and Rajadamnern?

Bangkok’s two main Muay Thai stadiums. Rajadamnern held its first fights in 1945; Lumpinee opened in 1956 and is run by the Royal Thai Army. Their titles are among the most famous in the sport, and both now host women’s bouts.

Do I need a license to fight amateur Muay Thai?

You’ll need a membership with the sanctioning body and a medical clearance; some states also require a license or registration for amateur events. Ask the event organizer and your state’s athletic commission.

What is a Khan in Muay Thai?

A grade in IFMA’s system, a bit like a belt in other martial arts. IFMA events require a minimum Khan by age: Khan 1 for U8 and U10, rising to Khan 6 for elite fighters, and Khan 7 or 10 for coaches and officials.