Junior Elise Becker is not who you think she is… 

She may seem like the quiet type, but don’t get her misunderstood. Becker is an elite fighter that’s been making a name for herself in the muay thai world. 

Becker traveled with her team, Pride MMA, to the TBA Classic Muay Thai World Expo, and she was one of the four on her team to make it to the finals.

Becker began muay thai training at the beginning of her high school career after being introduced to the sport by her mother, Ms. Austin, a teacher at Edmond North.

“Elise has always been athletic but has never found a sport she was passionate about until muay thai,” Austin expressed. “She picked up the sport and excelled quickly.”

Muay Thai isn’t just a hobby to Becker, it has become a passion. 

What is muay thai?

Muay thai is one of the many martial arts. The combat sport involves primarily punches, kicks, shins, and elbows. Fighters typically wear protective gear, like gloves, shin guards, mouth guards and head gear. 

The fighters compete in three rounds that last three minutes each. Fighters can be awarded points for effective striking and defending. The sport focuses on the eight limbs: two fists, two elbows, two knees and two shins.

Matches come to an end by a knockout, technical knockout, or a decision by a set number of judges. 

Muay Thai World Expo

Eight weeks before the tournament, Becker’s coaches put her and her team through an intense workout routine, up to three hours a day, five days a week. 

“My coaches had made sure everyone was fully conditioned and didn’t cut anyone any slack,” she explained. “As much as we might not have liked it at the moment, it had definitely improved how the team performed.”

The training consisted of a lot of sparring and cardio, and included a strict dietary regiment to ensure the fighters would make weight.

When the week finally came, Becker made weight at the girl’s straw weight novice. She won her first match by unanimous decision against a fighter from Bermuda, clearing the path straight to the championship bracket. 

She was given a day off before the final faceoff.

Unfortunately for Becker, an unknown injury from her previous wrestling season started to really wear on her. It never occurred to her that the pain she had been feeling was something more than just an ache. Only after the tournament did she get it checked out and learned she had a microtear in her left bicep. 

“My left punches were very weak compared to what they could have been,” Becker said. “If I had known and been able to do something beforehand it would have definitely helped my performance.”

When the final match day arrived, Becker faced off against the returning world champion and fought hard. The match was both physically and mentally straining on her. With each fighter winning a round, the final round went to the returning champion by a split decision. Though the match fell into the favor of her opponent, she still ended off with a runner-up finish at the World Championships. 

This second place finish encourages Becker to train even harder and fight with more skill at next year’s competition. 

“I’m gonna be back next year, and I plan on winning the tournament.”