A Thai national MMA athlete gave an interview to Thairath Sports after being accused by a Chinese athlete of being a man, despite being a woman.
On 16 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Amp Kanjuta Phatboonsorn won The 3rd AMMA Championships 2025 in China after Liu Xian Ni, a host country fighter, protested refusing to fight, claiming Amp was not a woman.
Recently, Thairath Sports interviewed Amp about the incident. Amp affirmed she is a biological woman. She said the incident deeply affected her emotionally because many foreigners unaware of the truth commented insults and bullied her on her personal posts and sent harsh messages such as, “Even after removing your genitals, you are not a woman.”
Amp confirmed that before the competition she submitted all required documents to the organizers. She also expressed surprise at the accusations since before switching to MMA, she had competed in jujitsu representing Thailand’s national team without any such issues.
Reflecting on the incident, Amp said, “No matter what gender someone is, everyone deserves respect.”
Currently, the Thai Mixed Martial Arts Association (TAMMA), led by Dr. Sirichet Poonthipayanont, has formally approached the Chinese MMA Federation to demand an apology for the actions of Liu Xian Ni and the coaching team. They are also gathering documents to request that the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) impose sanctions to prevent such incidents from happening again.
Although Amp won The 3rd AMMA Championships 2025 and earned the right to compete in the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, no one would want to achieve success while carrying the scars of unjust accusations. The Thai MMA Association deserves praise for fully defending the athlete’s rights.