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Dave Leduc with Joe Rogan. Photos: Instagram

Dave Leduc blasts ‘delusional’ Liam Harrison and challenges him to fight Lethwei

  • French-Canadian calls for Muay Thai star to take a fight on World Lethwei Championship’s June 2020 US card
  • ‘In no way shape or form, you allegedly giving some head butts in some drunken bar fights qualify you as an expert’
Lethwei

Don’t talk smack about Lethwei when Dave Leduc is around.

The World Lethwei Championship cruiserweight champion didn’t take kindly to some remarks on social media by English Muay Thai star Liam Harrison.

Harrison took aim at “some serious idiots out there who think Lethwei is harder than Muay Thai”. What ensued was a clear 10-8 round for Leduc.

“Never met you, or even mentioned your name, until I was sent this poorly written rant you did on me and the most brutal sport in the world, Lethwei. I thought you were a cool guy, but now you just have shown your true colours,” the French-Canadian wrote in an Instagram post.

“You seem quite unhappy inside and very insecure about your sport. It’s normal to panic when things are changing. But you can’t stop it mate.

“The world is realising that Muay Thai is not the most effective striking combat art, but it’s actually Lethwei that offers a more permissive ruleset with headbutts and a more realistic fighting experience with no gloves, takedowns allowed & KO only to win in traditional rules.

‘Born in Myanmar in another life’, Canadian fighter turns Burmese hero

“The threat of headbutts changes the inside game completely, so you have to protect against a whole new limb: the 9th limb aka the head.”

Leduc pointed to his recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s YouTube podcast – and blasted Harrison’s appearance on the show as boring.

“I started yours but fell asleep … it must suck to have no charisma and be 5”1,” Leduc said. “I would be unhappy too to be honest.

Dave Leduc at Joe Rogan’s studio.

“In the podcast, I said that Lethwei fighters kick less because it’s way more effective to punch with no gloves since you can draw blood easier than with kicks. Over hundreds of years, Muay Thai fighters have focused on their kicks because they are forced to fight with big pillows 8oz gloves while Lethwei fighters have developed strong rigid hands for bare-knuckle fighting.

“Also, in no way shape or form, you allegedly giving some head butts in some drunken bar fights qualify you as a headbutt expert.”

Leduc then challenged Harrison to take a fight on the WLC’s June 2020 card in the US, when Lethwei will be staged in America for the first time.

Dave Leduc with Israel Adesanya at UFC 244.

“I invite you to put your money where your mouth is (I know you don’t make much in Muaythai, it’s just an expression),” he said.

“Trust me, I would gladly do the dirty work and punch your delusional head, but you are about the size I was when I was 12, I will let my Burmese brothers the pleasure.

"You got cut with MMA gloves in One Championship… I’m scared for you in bare-knuckle fighting … I spoke with WLC it’s already ok with them. If you win and don’t break your soft hands, I will give US$10,000 to an orphanage in Yangon, Myanmar. Think about the kids Liam. Do it for the kids.”

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