Joshua Embradura Crowned WBC Muaythai World Champion in Bangkok

KGB GYM has another world champion. Joshua Embradura has been crowned a WBC Muaythai World Championship gold medalist after conquering the 2026 Amazing Muaythai World Festival in Bangkok, Thailand, the historical home of the sport. Fighting for Team Wales, the KGB GYM standout came through a ruthless four day knockout tournament to take gold at the iconic Nimibutr Stadium. Embradura sealed the title in emphatic fashion, stopping a world class finalist from Team Libya with a dominant second round TKO in the final. It was the perfect end to a gruelling week and a statement of intent from a fighter who has been steadily climbing the ranks of Welsh Muay Thai. The 2026 Amazing Muaythai World Festival and WBC World Championships ran from 25 to 29 June and brought together the global elite. The single elimination format is one of the hardest tests in combat sports. To reach the top of the podium, Embradura had to win four fights across four consecutive days, surviving daily weight cuts, accumulated damage and relentless pressure in Bangkok's punishing heat. There is nowhere to hide in a knockout bracket, and only the very best come through it with a gold medal around their neck. Winning a WBC sanctioned world tournament in Bangkok, the birthplace of Muay Thai, is the pinnacle of the sport. This was not simply a tournament win. It was a Welsh fighter travelling to the spiritual heart of Muay Thai and beating the world's best on their own ground. Embradura trains out of KGB GYM in Briton Ferry, and his journey from a local Welsh gym to the top of the world is exactly what the club is built on. KGB stands for "Keep Getting Better", and there is no better example of that philosophy than a fighter who kept showing up, kept improving and ended up a world champion. Behind every champion is a team. Josh has been guided by KGB head coach James "Wally" Wallis and national head coach Giff, with further support from the wider regional network including WPT Muay Thai and KT Academy. This gold medal is a landmark moment for Welsh combat sports and proof that a collaborative training network across South Wales can produce world beating, elite level talent. KGB GYM in Briton Ferry runs Muay Thai and striking classes for all levels, welcoming students from across Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot, Bridgend and the surrounding valleys. Whether you want to compete or simply learn the "art of eight limbs" at a club that produces champions, everyone is welcome to come and train. Huge congratulations to Joshua Embradura, WBC Muaythai world champion.