Israeli kickboxer beats anti-Israel Turkish foe

Israeli kickboxer Ahavat Hashem Gordon maintained his unbeaten run on Saturday, defeating Turkish fighter Ali Koyuncu, who had taunted him ahead of the clash with a series of anti-Israel posts on social media.

Gordon, 19, was widely seen as dominating the fight, organized by the Lithuanian UTMA combat sports organization and held at the Zalgiris Arena in Kaunas, the country’s second-largest city.

Tension had been building in the days before the contest as Koyuncu posted on social media anti-Israel comments and threats against Gordon. Relations between Israel and Turkey have been particularly strained since war broke out in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel, with Turkey backing Gaza and sharply criticizing Israel’s military campaign against the Palestinian terror group.

At the pre-fight weigh-in, Koyuncu tried to grab Gordon by the throat, and as officials strove to hold the two men back from attacking each other, the Turkish fighter sent a kick to the Israeli’s stomach.

“I brought a doctor to fix your face after the fight,” Gordon told Koyuncu, according to a report from the Ynet outlet. “Now there’s no mercy.”

In the opening round, both fighters landed kicks on each other’s legs, though Gordon was repeatedly on top when clinches brought them to the floor. After Koyuncu poked him in the eye in the first minute, seemingly inadvertently — a move not permitted under the Muay Thai rules of the fight, which paused the bout — Gordon pummeled his opponent, getting the upper hand as they clashed.

The second round followed a similar pattern, with Koyuncu appearing frustrated and overwhelmed, though doggedly fighting back. However, after the end of the round, the Turkish fighter was bleeding from a blow to the side of his head and had apparently suffered a debilitating injury to his leg, casting doubt as to whether he would come out for the third. At that point, the referee stopped the fight and awarded Gordon a technical knockout, giving him his 11th straight win without a defeat.

At a press conference after the fight, Gordon gave thanks to Israelis who traveled to the event to show their support, many of whom were seen waving Israeli flags in the audience.

“I was excited and surprised to see so many people calling my name and cheering me on,” Gordon said.

Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar welcomed the victory, posting to X, “Another brilliant victory for our Israeli fighter.”

Gordon has seven siblings, and six of then are also Thai boxers. His mother, who was born in Hong Kong, has Thai and Philippine ancestry, converted to Judaism, and married Israeli-American Azriel Gordon, who died four years ago.

Gordon’s older brother Ruach Hashem won a silver medal for Israel last year at the Muay Thai World Games in China.