Souris Manfredi will forever have her named etched into the history books for World Lethwei Championship.

Manfredi and Eh Yanut were the first female fighters to compete for WLC when they stepped into the ring at WLC: King of Nine Limbs back in 2019. Manfredi would become the first female knockout winner in the WLC, with the bout airing live on UFC Fight Pass.

It was part of an event that helped shape the future of WLC, as Dave Leduc won the WLC cruiserweight title with a finish of Seth Backzynski and Sasha Moisa the light middleweight belt by besting Artur Saladiak. 

All in all, quite the splash from Manfredi on the big stage.

This past January, Manfredi continued her march towards greatness with a second round knockout of Tran Thi Lua at WLC: Battlebones. 

From there, it was made official that she would square off with Maisha Katz at WLC: Hideout Battle this past August as the promotion returned from the coronavirus pandemic with an event in an undisclosed location.

Not only was the inaugural WLC women’s bantamweight world title on the line, the bout would serve as the main event. 

Manfredi, as she has done countless times throughout her career, was dominant. She earned a fourth round finish when Katz could no longer continue, making history once again by becoming the first WLC female champion.

First female winner in WLC history. First female world champion in WLC history.

“We made it! We made history!,” Manfredi said. “First female bantamweight Lethwei World Championship! Win by TKO on the 4th Round.

“We show with my opponent (Katz) what female fighter brings on the show. Fire, violence, blood, techniques, and power! Great fight and I can’t wait to have your feedback! Thank you (WLC) for this beautiful opportunity!

“Now I’m already looking forward to defend my title!”

All for someone who found herself constantly searching for that “right fit” while competing in judo, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and now Lethwei.

“I loved fighting for World Lethwei Championship,” Manfredi said in an interview with FightMag.com. “It was an absolutely exhilarating experience and the purest form of fighting there is.

“I loved fighting in Lethwei, more than Muay Thai, because I feel more free with no gloves, the head butt and my background of judo and BJJ.”

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