About
The Thai Boxing Association-Sanctioning Authority (TBA-SA) is a Muay Thai-only sanctioning body based in Iowa, set up to support the Thai Boxing Association of the USA (TBA-USA); its board members are certified instructors under Ajarn Chai Sirisute. With a focus on fighter safety, it sanctions Muay Thai events, publishes its own rules, weight divisions and suspension list, and trains judges and referees in real Muay Thai scoring through its Officials Intensive workshops. Its flagship is the TBA Muay Thai Classic & World Expo, first held in 2007 and now staged each June in Des Moines, billed as the largest Muay Thai tournament in North America, with divisions from juniors to seniors and more than 1,000 fighter registrations a year; Class A fighters also compete for defendable TBA-SA titles at its annual Tournament of Champions. The 20th TBA Classic runs June 16-20, 2027 at the Holiday Inn Airport Convention Center in Des Moines, where it also hosts the USA Muaythai Youth National Championships.