WLC: Antonio Faria Ready To Make Title Defense At Lethwei Showcase

Reigning World Lethwei Championship light welterweight titleholder Antonio Faria looks to once again prove himself as the best of the best.

Faria will defend his WLC title at WLC: Lethwei Showcase on September 25 against Francisco Jose Vinuelas. The bout airs live on UFC Fight Pass, Canal+ and several other major broadcast partners across 100 countries from an undisclosed location due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As the WLC leader in knockouts, Faria has yet to be pushed to the distance during his career with the promotion. He has quickly become a fan favorite and must-see-fighter during his run. 

Back in February at WLC: Mighty Warriors, Faria became the inaugural WLC light welterweight champion with a finish of Saw Htoo Aung. This will be his first title defense against Vinuelas.

Faria knows this will be quite the test, as Vinuelas is an experienced fighter. While this mark his debut with WLC, he is a veteran of over 60 official fights in several disciplines including in the Chinese mixed martial arts and kickboxing arenas. 

In 2018, Faria put together a highlight-reel performance in a victory over Nguyen Thanh Trung at WLC: Heartless Tigers. He quickly and systematically picked Trung apart, dropping him in each round before finishing him with a right kick directly to the midsection.

Against Aung, Faria put together a left-right punch combo that earned him the WLC title and finish. He moved up from the lightweight division to take the fight and championship belt. 

The 31-year-old Faria has earned the nickname “King of the Knockout.” He also holds the crown of being a Portugal national champion.