Muay Thai fighter Haimona Tamati’s triple triumph at world champs

Haimona Tamati wanted to fight as much as he could during the champs. Photo / Supplied

Haimona Tamati is now a cruiserweight Muay Thai world champion, claiming gold at the WKA (World Kickboxing Association) World Championships in Wales.

But he didn’t stop there. The Whanganui fighter picked up a further silver in kickboxing and also a bronze in boxing (also in the cruiserweight division).

Tamati, who began his career at the Awa Kings gym, said despite the pressure, he felt relaxed heading into the Muay Thai final.

“My opponent was a lot bigger than me – he must have piled on the food between the weigh-in and the fight.

“The power shots were stumbling him, but they weren’t enough to drop him. Luckily, he didn’t land anything big on me.”

A trilogy bout with long-time local rival Connor Woodman was on the cards, but Woodman lost on his way to the final.

Tamati said he found out who his next opponent was only a few hours before each fight.

“That was a little bit annoying, to be honest.

“At the end of the day, it was just me and another dude, and I wanted to beat him.”

Winning against fighters from other countries was “always an amazing feeling”, although Tamati said his gold medal kickboxing bout didn’t end the way he would have liked.

He came up against an eight-time US champion after fighting just an hour prior.

“I was actually winning, but he caught me with a shot and that was that,” Tamati said.

“He got me good. I was out. Not to make excuses, but I think the jetlag had just kicked in and I wasn’t quite there mentally.

“At least it was at the end and not the start. If it was the other way around, that would have been me for the tournament.”

Muay Thai allows for attacks that utilise elbows, knees, kicks and punches, and kickboxing involves using punches and kicks only. Boxing allows only punches.

Earl-Jay Pehi (right) could be Tamati's next opponent. Pictured with another kickboxer, Lee Kara. Photo / NZME

Tamati had planned on entering only Muay Thai and kickboxing, but he threw his hat in the boxing ring at the last minute.

“I just thought, ‘I’ve come over here to fight as many people as I can’. I had travelled halfway around the world.

“What’s the worst thing that could happen? I lose. I can’t be mad at that, though, because it’s not my sport.”

The New Zealand team finished third on the medal table behind winners Scotland and England.

“We ended up smashing Aussie, so we’re pretty happy with that,” Tamati said.

Next on the agenda is securing a super-fight at the next King in the Ring tournament in Auckland alongside his cousin, Whanganui’s Earl-Jay Pehi.