Muay Thai Fighter Mia Kang Models Colorful Swimwear in These 6 Pics From Mexico

The Model Search winner posed for the SI Swimsuit Issue two years in a row.

Mia Kang was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico.Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

After winning the Model Search in 2016, Muay Thai fighter Mia Kang returned to the fold for her rookie photoshoot the following year. 

While her initial brand feature took place in the Dominican Republic, the British-Swiss model traveled to Mexico for her 2017 photoshoot, where she posed in front of Ruven Afanador’s lens in a number of bright and colorful looks.

In an interview with beauty brand Into the Gloss, Kang noted how supportive the brand was of her over the course of those two years.   

“They made me feel that what was most important was the woman that I am, and not what I looked like,” she told the outlet. “Not many people get to really be themselves and be in the public like that. There are still two different industries—Plus is a whole separate industry. I’m bang in the middle [right now]—I’m like a size 8 or 10, so I get told all the time, ‘You need to either gain or lose weight.’ Why? Exactly. This is my whole point. No one’s ‘too’ anything. Diversity doesn’t just mean having five size 0 girls and then one size 14 girl on the cover of a magazine—that’s not diversity.”

Today, Kang continues to work in the industry and is represented by IMG Models. She uses her platform to further her mission of mental health advocacy while also sharing her story as an eating disorder survivor in the hopes of helping others.

Whether she’s in front of the camera or not, we’re always impressed with Kang. Below are a few of our favorite photos from her rookie feature in Mexico.

Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

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