Lethwei
Myanmar's bare-knuckle full-contact combat sport — punches, kicks, elbows, knees and headbutts are all legal.
👥1 per team🌤indoor
What is Lethwei?
Lethwei is Myanmar's national combat sport — a bareknuckle, full-contact striking art in which punches, kicks, elbows, knees and headbutts are all legal. Fights are contested over five three-minute rounds. Traditional rules are win-by-knockout only; modern federations allow decisions. World Lethwei Championship promotes the professional sport internationally.
Quick facts
Category
Combat Sports
Type
Individual
Players
1 per team
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇲🇲 Myanmar
Estimated origin
Ancient Myanmar (Pyu Empire era, ~1st century)
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
Sources & provenance
Last verified 2026-08-24.verified