PHNOM PENH: On November 5, a much-anticipated match between Canadian Lethwei champion Dave Leduc and Cambodian Kun Khmer fighter Prom Samnang ended in a draw, preserving the pride of everyone involved. At the end of the match, Canadian boxer Dave Leduc raised the Cambodian and Burmese flags to symbolize friendship between the two Southeast Asian countries.

Leduc is an undefeated Lethwei fighter, having made his name in Myanmar playing their indigenous, bare-knuckle martial arts style. For what he called his final match before retirement, he agreed to fight in the Kun Khmer Style against popular fighter Prom Samnang out of respect for the host country. With neither boxer able to knock the other one out after nine minutes, the match ended in a draw. Leduc celebrated by raising the flags of both Cambodia and Myanmar.

Dave Leduc has not fought in Myanmar since 2019 and has been outspoken against the violent military junta that staged a coup in 2021. He has openly mourned the loss of his former opponent, Too Too, who was killed after being detained, along with many others. “Villages burnt, wells poisoned, protesters shot, rights violated, people arrested and killed…even my former opponent Too Too, the one who welcomed me into Lethwei for my first fight, was just announced dead…it’s a very dark time for the country,” he posted in July.

^{PHOTO: WURKZ}