Dave Leduc

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.

Leduc gained widespread notoriety by winning his fight in the controversial Prison Fight.

In 2005, Leduc represented Outaouais in Baseball at the Summer Quebec Games in Amos and won the bronze medal.

He also played in the United States as a pitcher.

In 2009, at the age of seventeen, after a disagreement with his father caused Leduc was forced to leave home.

He joined Sifu Patrick Marcil's martial arts school Kung Fu Patenaude in Gatineau and began learning Sanda under his guidance while competing in amateur fight nights.

Leduc started training his headbutts, Jeet Kune Do principles, and hitting the bag bareknuckle.

In 2011, at nineteen years old, Leduc was managing a nightclub in Ottawa and owned a limousine company.

In 2013, Leduc started fighting MMA in Canada and went undefeated in amateur in his three fights, winning two of them by submission via guillotine choke.

His last win was against Tristar Gym fighter and Georges St-Pierre's protege, Yukinori Akazawa, which he won by unanimous decision.

In 2013, Lethwei being illegal in the province of Quebec and having difficulty getting a fight in Myanmar, Leduc went on his first trip to neighboring Thailand to begin his professional career.

Myanmar's lack of training facilities led Leduc to leave everything behind and moved to Phuket in order to train at Tiger Muay Thai.

In 2014, Leduc made his pro debut against future UFC welterweight fighter Jonathan Meunier.

Having never cut weight as an amateur, Leduc fought at his walking weight 171lbs.

On July 12, 2014, Leduc took part in the controversial Prison Fight: Fight For Freedom, where inmates can reduce their sentences and even earn their freedom by winning a series of fights against foreign fighters.

Prison Fight is sanctioned by the Thai Department of Corrections and described as a way for inmates to battle their way to an early release.

The event took place in the maximum security Klong Pai Central Prison, in Nakhon Ratchasima, two hours north of Bangkok.

Leduc faced Thahan Chor.Chatchai who was an experienced Muay Thai fighter who competed multiple times at Lumpini Stadium, but was arrested and incarcerated for trafficking methamphetamine.

Leduc won by unanimous decision and left the top of his opponent's head lacerated because of repetitive elbow strikes.

When it came to fighting convicts, Leduc said to the Bangkok Post that he wouldn't feel bad if he won and his rival's sentence wasn't reduced.

Leduc explained to Argentinian news Infobae the mentality of the inmates at the Prison Fight events, saying:

"They do not fight for money, they fight for their freedom. I only fight for honor and glory."

"They deserve to get my 100%, if he wins, then he earns it."

He lost the fight by referee stoppage in the first round and would return to the cage in November 2015 to face future ONE Championship title contender Koyomi Matsushima, this time attempting to drop down to 155lbs.

Matsushima won by referee stoppage in the first round after Leduc was caught by a hammer fist trying to secure a triangle choke.

In 2016, he travelled to Myanmar to fight Burmese bareknuckle boxing considered the world's most brutal sport.

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.

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.

Born in Gatineau, Leduc starting playing baseball at a young age.

Leduc was invited to the 2016 Tiger Muaythai Tryouts and went on to win a place on the professional fight team, along with teammate Dan Hooker.

On August 21, 2016, Leduc was invited to make his Lethwei debut at the 1st Myanmar Lethwei World Championship in Yangon, Myanmar, against Too Too, (34–0) undefeated, 75 kg Lethwei World Champion.

Leduc took the country by storm by completely dominating the fight, which ended in a draw according to traditional Lethwei rules.

With his performance, Leduc won the heart of the Myanmar people.

After his dominant performance over Too Too, Leduc challenged Myanmar star Tun Tun Min, at the time, the openweight Lethwei world champion.

The match was held at Thein Pyu Stadium and organized by Great Tiger Group.

Tun Tun Min was the heavy favorite heading into this title defense against Leduc.

Tun Tun Min started strong and dominated the early rounds.

In the later rounds, Leduc came back and floored his opponent a few times.

The match was closely contested and ended in a draw according to traditional Lethwei rules.