With the purpose of promoting sport, culture and economic activation in the Veracruz capital, the Xalapa 2026 Muay Thai Gala was announced, an event that will take place on April 25 at the Xalapeño Casino, one of the most representative spaces in the historic center of the city.
In a press conference, organizers Rafael Hakim Urreta and Héctor Hernández Cruz, known as “El Tiburón Hernández”, reported that the gala will bring together representatives from more than 10 states in the country, around 25 schools and more than 40 fights, including championship matches endorsed by national and international organizations such as WMO, WMF and Ablecal. They highlighted that the official belts of the World Muay Thai Organization (WMO) will arrive directly from Thailand, the country of origin of this discipline.
They explained that one of the central axes of the event is to promote Muay Thai as a training sport, based on discipline and values, and not as a violent practice. In that sense, they stressed that it is a totally family function, with fights ranging from children’s categories to high-level competitive fights.
The program will begin in the morning with matches between girls and boys from the age of five, organized by age and weight, with the purpose of promoting sports practice from an early age and strengthening family coexistence. In the afternoon the stellar gala will take place, which will include about 12 championship fights, with the participation of fighters with national and international experience.
The organizers highlighted that Xalapa has more than three decades of tradition in Muay Thai and that this gala seeks to mark a watershed by bringing together various organizations and schools from different regions of the country, from the north to the Yucatan peninsula, positioning the Veracruz capital as a national reference for this martial art.
Likewise, they pointed out that the Xalapeño Casino was chosen as the venue for its historical value—with more than 100 years of existence—and for its potential to be reactivated as a cultural, sports and economic meeting space, through links with restaurants, sports companies and local businesses.
On a social level, they announced that 10 percent of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Casa del Niño Xalapeño, as part of the event’s commitment to social responsibility and support for community causes.
The cost of access will be 200 pesos in advance and 250 pesos on the day of the event. There will also be family tables with food and drink service. The gala will have public security, ambulance service and the necessary measures to guarantee the integrity of the attendees.
Finally, the organizers invited citizens to follow the official social networks of the event to find out the details of the pre-sale and the announcement of special guests that will be revealed in the coming weeks.
