Our incredible team of Muay Thai fighters traveled to Des Moines, Iowa last week for the yearly TBA Muay Thai tournament — one of our very favorite times of the year!

This year, we brought a younger team of 10 youth fighters and 5 adult fighters. We had 22 fights over the weekend and brought home 4 championship belts! We witnessed so much growth, heart, and some truly spectacular moments. Everyone — fighters, coaches, family, and supporters — showed up for each other and blew us away with camaraderie; it truly felt like one big family.

Read on for a recap of each fighter over the weekend!

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Brandon Sauder

Junior fighter Brandon brought an unforgettable performance over the weekend. In the semifinals, he got the win by TKO after his opponent’s corner threw in the towel! This was Brandon’s first fight, and early on you could tell that getting hit for the first time was a bit of a shock to the system. In fact, Coach Ben was considering stopping the fight, but Coach Katie told him to give Brandon a little more time. Good thing she did! Once Brandon settled in, something clicked. He flipped a switch and turned into an absolute animal. He started pushing the pace and refusing to back down. The kind of grit he showed can’t be taught. Brandon proved that day that he’s a fighter with an incredible comeback performance.

In the finals, he faced a very technical opponent who came out sharp, landing long punches and kicks early in the fight and giving Brandon a bloody nose. Once he settled in, Brandon started finding his rhythm and landing some devastating knees in the clinch. He did an excellent job listening to his corner and sticking to the game plan. Brandon scored an 8-count in the first round and eventually earned a TKO win with his knees in the second round.

What a performance! Brandon is the 2026 Junior Boys Novice Atomweight Champion!

 

Travis Engstrom

Travis absolutely dominated the whole weekend. In his semifinals fight, Travis looked strong, sharp, and confident from the start. Everything was clicking, and he never gave his opponent a chance to get going. As the fight went on, Travis continued to pour it on, breaking his opponent down with a relentless pace and clean technique.

In the finals, Travis won via knockout in the first round! His opponent came out strong and fast, but Travis stayed calm and secured the victory in spectacular fashion with a clean right hand to definitively end it. What a fight! One of our favorites of the weekend, and we couldn’t be more proud. Travis is the new Senior Men’s Class B Middleweight Champion!

 

Lochlan Hayes

Lochlan worked harder than anyone in the gym during this camp, and it paid off. He looked incredible out there, putting together great combinations that set up some devastating low kicks. His clinch work was also outstanding! Lochlan is the new Junior Boys NHS Welterweight Champion and we are so proud!

 

Maximus Moua

What a fight! Both Max and his opponent looked great in there, and it was a battle from start to finish. Max’s opponent wanted to clinch, but Max did a great job making adjustments and sticking to the game plan. He found success with his teep and heavy left hand, which kept creating openings throughout the fight. When they did end up in the clinch, Max consistently shut it down by getting his hips in and dumping his opponent to the ground over and over.

Hats off to both fighters and everything that went into making this one of the best fights of the weekend! Congratulations to Max; he is the new Junior Boys Class B Bantamweight Champion!

 

Steven McCormick

Steven had a stellar performance all weekend. He won his first fight of the tournament with excellent forward pressure, sharp head movement, and smart adjustments throughout the fight. It was a close contest heading into the third round, and Steven needed a strong final round to secure the victory. He showed grit and pushed the pace to earn the win.

In his second fight of the tournament, Steven was bloodied within the opening seconds, but he looked every bit the warrior. From there, he took control of the fight and dominated the clinch with relentless pressure and scoring repeatedly with powerful knees and sharp elbows. He secured the win in dominant fashion!

In the semifinals, Steven put on a great performance against a very talented and tough opponent. The fight was competitive from start to finish, with some really good exchanges between both fighters. Steven had his moments, landed some clean shots and started to come back in the 3rd. In the end, he came up short in a close fight, but there’s a lot to be proud of. He fought hard, represented the team well, and gave a tough opponent everything he could handle.

 

Zack Morris

Zack won his first fight of the tournament with a technical performance! He looked cool, calm, and collected. He controlled the pace of the fight with a sharp jab, effective low kicks, and exceptional movement and secured the win. His next opponent could not continue, so Zack advanced directly to the finals.

He had a great performance in the finals but came up just a little short on the scorecards. For his first Muay Thai fights, Zack looked composed and was very coachable. He did a great job listening to his corner, making adjustments, and executing throughout the fight. One of the highlights was how well he shut down his opponent’s clinch game with a solid knee shield and smart positioning. The fight was very competitive, but an elbow landed at range in the third round and helped swing the momentum in his opponent’s favor.

Regardless of the result, Zack had a fantastic weekend and put together some excellent performances. We’re incredibly proud of the way he competed and can’t wait to see what the future holds for him in this sport.

 

Jozi Rydeen

Jozi won a close, competitive fight against a tough opponent in the semifinals. Jozi did a great job sticking to the game plan, landing strong right crosses and hard turning low kicks throughout the match. In a fight that could have gone either way, those clean, effective shots helped her earn the decision.

In the finals, Jozi lost a close decision in a rematch from last year. We’re so proud of how she performed. She looked great out there and fought a smart, competitive fight. Her opponent was able to outscore her by a small margin with a little more volume, but it was a great fight! Jozi has grown as a fighter during this camp. The evolution we’ve seen over the last couple months has been amazing, and it’s been fun to watch her confidence and skills continue to develop. This was also her first time fighting in the adult division, which is a huge step. She handled herself incredibly well, and we’re excited to see where this journey takes her.

 

Liam Doo

Liam Doo came up short in a close fight in the finals. He did a nice job controlling the pace of the fight and landed some really clean boxing and low kick combinations. His opponent had a strong clinch game and was able to score well with long knees, and that ended up being the difference. We’re proud of Liam. This was a big hurdle to get over, and he handled himself well. It’s only up from here!

 

Luna Philipp

Luna lost a very close fight, but we’re so proud of the way she performed. We thought the fight could have gone her way, but a controversial 8-count ended up making the difference on the scorecards. Regardless of the outcome, this was Luna’s best fight yet. She looked strong, smart, and determined from start to finish. She stayed composed, executed well, and showed how much she has grown as a fighter. Sometimes the judges don’t see it the way you do, but performances like this are what lead to big things down the road. We’re proud of Luna and can’t wait to see her back in the ring.

 

Nico Philipp

Nico lost a tough fight, but we are very proud of him! His opponent had a really strong clinch game and was able to have success there early on. As the fight progressed, Nico started to settle in and find his rhythm. Once he began moving more and letting his hands go, he started to turn things around and put together some great exchanges. For his first time in the ring, Nico showed a lot of heart! We’re proud of the way he competed this weekend.

 

Henry Brandtjen

Henry is a dawg! His was one of the toughest fights of the tournament, and we had a lot of people stop by afterward to tell us the same thing. Henry ended up on the wrong side of the decision, but he did not make it easy on his opponent. These two boys were slinging from the opening bell and put on an absolute war. There were a couple of questionable 8-counts in our opinion.

What impressed us most was his toughness and relentless attitude. No matter what happened, he kept coming forward and never stopped fighting. The result wasn’t what we wanted, but these boys gave the crowd a show, and we’re incredibly proud of Henry.

 

Lana Lee

Lana came up short on the scorecards, but she put on a great performance! She fought hard from start to finish and showed a lot of toughness and determination. Her opponent was able to edge out the decision, but Lana never stopped working and represented herself well. For a first fight, this was a really strong showing. We’re proud of her for stepping into the ring and can’t wait to see her back in action.

 

Connor Vang

Connor lost a decision against a tough opponent, but we’re very proud of the way he competed. This was Connor’s first fight ever, and he showed a lot of grit and determination. His opponent was strong in the clinch and presented some difficult challenges, but Connor never gave up and kept pushing forward. By the third round, he was starting to find his rhythm and put together some really good moments. So proud of you Connor!

 

Aamiahs Hardy

Aamiahs faced an aggressive and skilled opponent who came out with a pace that took him by surprise. Aamiahs wasn’t able to come back and he lost by TKO. The result wasn’t what we wanted, but we’re proud of the work he put in to get here and the willingness he showed to step into the ring and challenge himself. This is just one step in a much longer journey.

Matt Cunningham & Jess Hays

Two of our coaches and high level students also had the opportunity to test for their black rank apprentice instructorship and Kru title under the World Thai Boxing Association over the weekend! They deserve it and we could not be more proud. These two have dedicated so much time and commitment to this sport and this gym over the last decade, and we are so lucky to have them as coaches, fighters and friends.

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Thank you to the coaches who gave up not only this weekend, but also lots and lots of time leading up to it. Thank you to the parents and support people… without you, none of this would be possible. Thank you to Sara and Kevin for capturing these memories. Thank you to our team back home who held down the fort while we were away. And thank you to Pete and Pam for hosting the tournament!

We also want to thank all of the gyms we shared the ring with this weekend. We all get better together, and every matchup helps elevate the sport.

Remember that weekends like this and fights like this change us forever. They teach us how to handle adversity, adapt, and show us that we can do hard things. Those lessons will help us for life. And we’re not just talking about the fighters. This weekend changes all of us. Thanks to our team and community for the opportunity to show what we’re made of!