| Dave Leduc | |
|---|---|
 Leduc in 2019 | |
| Born | December 13, 1991 Gatineau, Quebec, Canada |
| Other names | The King of Lethwei Steel Giraffe ဒေဝ (pronounced 'day-wa')[1] |
| Nationality |  Canada  Myanmar[2] |
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) |
| Weight | 165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb) |
| Style | Lethwei, Sanda, Jeet Kune Do |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Team | Patenaude Martial Arts (2009–present) |
| Trainer | Sifu Patrick Marcil |
| Rank | Blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[3] |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Occupation |
|
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | Official website |
| Signature | |
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Dave Leduc (born 13 December 1991) is a Canadian former Lethwei fighter. He is a former six-time Lethwei world champion who held the openweight Lethwei Golden Belt and was undefeated under traditional rules KO to win.[4] In 2014, Leduc first gained widespread notoriety by winning his fight in the controversial Prison Fight inside a maximum security prison in Thailand.[5]
In 2016, he travelled to Myanmar to fight Burmese bareknuckle boxing considered the world's most brutal sport.[1][6][7] He challenged and defeated Tun Tun Min who was then recognized as the best in the world and became the first non-Burmese to win the Lethwei Golden Belt title.[8][9][10] The same year, Leduc married Moldovan model Irina Terehova in a nationally televised traditional Burmese wedding ceremony in Yangon with approximately 30 million viewers in Myanmar.[11]
- ^ a b Bhrodri Morgan (30 July 2019). "A royal portrait: Dave Leduc, King of Lethwei". The Body Lock.
In Burmese, he is known as 'ဒေဝ' (pronounced day-wah)
- ^ "Myanmar Passsport Dave Leduc". Facebook. August 2, 2022.
- ^ "Lethwei Champion Dave Leduc gets promoted to BJJ Blue Belt". Budo Dragon. 31 July 2022.
- ^ Chhorn Norn (25 May 2023). "Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter". The Phnom Penh Post.
- ^ Arnaud, Fanny (16 September 2016). "Un Québécois gagne un prison fight en Thaïlande". Le Journal de Montréal.
- ^ Lucas Bourdon (1 August 2019). "Lethwei champion Dave Leduc: 'I didn't like Muay Thai, because there were gloves'". Bloody Elbow. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ Karl R. De Mesa (12 March 2019). "The Most Brutal Sport in the World Uses Bare Knuckles and Head Butts". Vice.
- ^ Kyaw Zin Hlaing (13 December 2016). "Myanmar's lethwei goliath toppled by Canadian 'Dave'". Myanmar Times. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
- ^ Dane Becker (16 March 2020). "Dave Leduc Wears The Crown Of World Lethwei Champion". The Mix.
- ^ Joe Henley (28 January 2018). "Burmese bare-knuckle kick-boxing goes mainstream as foreigners discover ancient combat sport". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021.
To us, he is Burmese [...] His lifestyle is Burmese. Today all Myanmar people cheer for Dave.
- ^ Pierre-Paul Biron (27 May 2016). "Ils ont changé de vie: il vend tout ici et devient une vedette en Asie". Le Journal de Montréal.