What are the WAKO World Championships?
Kickboxing's world titles, run by the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations since 1978, when the first edition drew 110 competitors from 18 countries. Abu Dhabi 2025 contested 114 senior medal events. Seniors compete in odd years, with youth world championships in even ones.[1] [2]
| Season | Pool / Format | Host cities |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Italy 8 golds — Croatia, Ukraine, Hungary, Bulgaria also 8 | Abu Dhabi (UAE), 21–30 Nov — 114 events |
| 2023 | Türkiye 10 golds — Italy, Hungary, Croatia also 10 | Albufeira (POR) |
| 2021 | Seniors, combined disciplines | Jesolo Lido (ITA) |
| 2019 | Russia topped both editions | Sarajevo (BIH) and Antalya (TUR) |
| 2017 | Russia 27 golds | Budapest (HUN) |
| 2027 | — scheduled | Tashkent (UZB), November |
Recent editions — leading nation. Note that the 2017 and 2019 tables include masters divisions and the later ones do not, so they are not like-for-like.
Eight disciplines, two surfaces
The programme splits between the tatami — point fighting, light contact, kick light, musical forms and creative forms — and the ring — full contact, low kick and K-1 style. Crossover is barred: a ring competitor enters one ring discipline only, while a tatami competitor may enter point fighting, light contact and kick light. Since 2021 the championships have been staged as a single combined event, and WAKO rules now require all disciplines together.[2] [3]
How do fighters enter?
By national-federation nomination, with one athlete per weight category per nation at senior level and two at cadet and junior. Entries run through the SportData system, each athlete needs a valid annual WAKO Sport ID, registration closes a week before the weigh-in, and a competitor may enter only one age and one weight category. WAKO inverts the usual arrangement by using its own world championships as the eliminator for World Games and World Combat Games places.[2] [3]
What about muaythai?
It is a separate world championship under a separate federation. The IFMA World Muaythai Championships run annually across Muaythai Combat, Technical and Cultural disciplines, with thirteen men's and eleven women's weight classes; Kuala Lumpur hosted 114 delegations and 519 athletes in June 2026. Both WAKO and IFMA received full IOC recognition on the same day, 20 July 2021, at the 138th IOC Session in Tokyo.[4]
References
- WAKO — about. Accessed August 2026.
- WAKO — official results. Accessed August 2026.
- WAKO — rules and regulations. Accessed August 2026.
- IFMA — International Federation of Muaythai Associations. Accessed August 2026.