POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– 18-year-old Daz Diaz of Fort Hall has been chosen to represent Team USA at the International Sport Kickboxing Association (ISKA)’s upcoming 2025 Thailand Open martial arts tournament in Bangkok.
Diaz trains in Muay Thai at American Combat Academy in Pocatello, and he has fought his way into the exclusive Thailand Open tournament, which only accepts 280 competitors from around the world every year.
“It’s just barely starting to feel real… I was one of four Americans picked to represent team USA,” said Diaz. “It makes me feel good, happy, and I’m super excited, and I’m going to prove to myself that I’m good enough to fight any country and win.”
Diaz started training in Muay Thai when he was 12 years old. Since then, he has developed a win-to-loss record of 2-1 in Thai martial arts, 2-0 in kickboxing, and 1-1 in mixed martial arts.
The real fight, now says Diaz, is raising the funds he needs to get himself to Thailand to compete in the tournament.
“I think we already raised just about a thousand,” said Diaz. “So I’d say about… three thousand more because I still got to buy my plane ticket, my coach has to buy his plane ticket… and then we’re set.”
Diaz and his coach are asking for the community’s help in getting them to Bangkok for the tournament in May. His team has set up a GoFundMe page where they are asking anyone who can pitch in and help raise the $4,000 needed to make it to the competition.
