Swimsuit

Muay Thai Fighter Mia Kang Was All Smiles in Colorful, Crochet Looks in Mexico

The model and athlete posed for SI Swimsuit in 2016 and 2017.

Ananya Panchal

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

Muay Thai fighter Mia Kang is a force of nature. The 35-year-old athlete, who made her SI Swimsuit debut in the Dominican Republic in 2016 when she won the Model Search, was then featured as a rookie in the 2017 issue, traveling to the breathtaking beaches of Mexico.

The Hong Kong native was scouted as a young teenager and booked one of her first major gigs with Levi’s. The model began to work with big brands and agencies abroad in major cities like Tokyo, Singapore, Milan, London and New York. While she was finding success in modeling, she was candid with herself about how unhappy and unhealthy she was feeling. Kang decided to go on a 10-day retreat in Thailand, where she discovered Muay Thai fighting, one of the strongest forms of martial arts. She fell in love with the sport and ended up staying in the Southeast Asian country for almost a year, competing in her first fight in May 2017. She traveled there again last New Year’s Eve to tie the knot with UFC fighter Khalil Rountree in a beautiful and intimate wedding ceremony.

“The sport is about improvisation with your fighting partner and it requires 100% mental capacity and concentration. Unless you have total confidence in yourself, she says, you will lose your fight,” the author explained about the mental aspects of Muay Thai. “In Asia, the ideal body type is slim with no muscle whatsoever. But in Thailand, I was completely okay with it because I’ve never been fitter, happier or healthier.”

Today, Kang uses her platform to openly speak about her previous struggles with eating disorders and mental health, while also advocating for size and ethnic diversity in the industry.

Below are six phenomenal pics from her 2017 SI Swimsuit feature with Ruven Afanador in Mexico.

Mia Kang
Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated
Mia Kang
Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated
Mia Kang
Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated
Mia Kang
Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated
Mia Kang
Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated
Mia Kang
Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated
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Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When she is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, Panchal can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast. Panchal has a bachelor’s in communications and journalism from Boston University.

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