RuiBotelho
Rui Botelho with both arms raised after a ONE Championship win

Athlete

Theathlete

Professional Muay Thai athlete with a professional record of 80 fights, 60 wins, and 13 knockouts, across more than 20 countries. 3x Muay Thai World Champion and 4x European Champion, currently competing in ONE Championship, the world's largest combat sports organisation.

01 Record

Career highlights

  • 3x Muay Thai World Champion
  • 4x Muay Thai European Champion
  • 4x National Champion (K-1 and Muay Thai)
  • First Portuguese athlete to compete in K-1 Japan
  • First Portuguese athlete to win an IFMA Class A Gold Medal
  • Represented Portugal at the 2022 World Games (Birmingham, Alabama)
  • Signed with ONE Championship in May 2018
  • Portuguese Sports Confederation Award (2017 and 2018)
Full record

Amateur & youth career

  • K-1 National Champion (-54kg): 2010/2011, 2011/2012, 2012/2013
  • K-1 Regional Champion (-54kg): 2011/2012, 2012/2013
  • K-1 Regional Runner-up (2010/2011), -54kg
  • Muay Thai National Champion (2011/2012), -54kg
  • Bronze Medal, WAKO European Championship (2011), -54kg
  • WAKO World Runner-up (2012), -54kg
  • One-month training camp at Keatkhamtorn Gym, Thailand, preparing for the 2013 WMF Muay Thai World Championship
  • Bronze Medal, WMF Muay Thai World Championship (2013), -51kg
  • Three-month training camp at Keatkhamtorn Gym, Thailand, preparing for the WMF Muay Thai World Championship
  • Gold Medal, WMF Muay Thai World Championship, Thailand (2014), -54kg
  • Gold Medal, EMC European Championship, Romania, -54kg
  • One-month training camp at Keatkhamtorn Gym, Thailand
  • Gold Medal, WMF Muay Thai World Championship, Thailand (2016 and 2017), -57kg Pro-Am
  • Gold Medal, IFMA European Muay Thai Championship, Croatia (2016), -57kg Class B
  • Bronze Medal, IFMA Muay Thai World Championship, Belarus (2017), -54kg Class A
  • Gold Medal, IFMA European Muay Thai Championship, France (2017), -57kg Class A. First Portuguese male athlete to win an IFMA Class A gold medal
  • Silver Medal, IFMA European Muay Thai Championship, Turkey (2022), -57kg Class A
  • Competed at The World Games, Birmingham, USA (2022)

Professional career (2014 to present)

  • First Portuguese athlete to compete in the prestigious K-1 Japan promotion
  • Winner of a four-man tournament in Scotland (2014)
  • Victory over the No. 2 ranked fighter in England (2014)
  • Winner of a Onesongchai tournament in Thailand, broadcast on PPTV HD 36 (2017)
  • Victory at Lumpinee Stadium (2017)
  • Two knockout victories at the Max Muay Thai event in Thailand
  • European Professional Muay Thai Champion (-53.5kg), WRSA
  • European Professional K-1 Champion (-55kg), WKA
  • Signed with ONE Championship in May 2018
  • Portuguese Sports Confederation Award recipient, January 2017 and 2018
  • Lived in Thailand for more than one and a half years, across multiple training camps

Countries competed in

  • Belarus
  • China
  • Croatia
  • Slovakia
  • Scotland
  • Spain
  • United States
  • France
  • Hungary
  • Italy
  • England
  • Japan
  • Malaysia
  • Mexico
  • Myanmar
  • Macau
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Singapore
  • Switzerland
  • Thailand
  • Turkey

02 Imagery

In competition

  • Rui Botelho landing a kick during a ONE Championship bout
  • Rui Botelho striking in the ring
  • Rui Botelho in a clinch exchange
  • Rui Botelho landing a high kick during a ONE Championship bout

03 Film

Selected moments

  • Rui Botelho as a teenager, hands up in a training guard
    Training Rui Botelho with 16 years old
  • Rui Botelho working pads with a Thai trainer at Pk Saenchai gym
    Training in Thailand at Pk Saenchai Muaythai Gym for ONE Championship fight