Jarryd Simmons became the first Bermudian since 2016 to win gold on his first attempt at the Thai Boxing Association of America World Championships when he triumphed in Des Moines, Iowa.

At the biggest Muay Thai competition in North America, where there were over 1,200 competitors, the 24-year-old Simmons, who competed in the 127lb championship under Chuck Morgan’s Fight Muay Thai, defeated Devante Ramey from Chonburi Muay Thai in Nashville, Tennessee, the club where ONE Championship superstar, Jo Nattawut, trains.

Before Simmons bagged top honours at the first attempt, Corey Boyce was the last Bermudian fighter to achieve such a feat, when he did so in 2016.

Reflecting on his success in the United States, Simmons, who recorded four wins, with two of the by stoppage, was thrilled to see his hard work produce the desired results.

“It feels amazing being able to go out and put all of my training to the test representing Bermuda,’’ Simmons told The Royal Gazette.

“This was my first time ever fighting in a Muay Thai tournament, so I wasn't sure what to expect. However, with motivation from my family and team-mates, along with good leadership from my coach, it all helped me to make it out on top.

“Since this was a first for me, I'd say it was mentally, emotionally, and physically taxing. As tournament went, I learnt to push through the pain, adapt and become stronger during the tougher moments.”

Bermuda resident, Phill Beach, won the senior 172lb division with dominating victories over two fights. The 45-year-old defeated veteran Somprasong Kanyavimonh in the final.

Silver medals were won by Keron Lee and Tyler Kerr, while the island’s six-member team rounded out the medal count with two bronze, when Emily Beach as well as Jay Astwood both lost to the eventual tournament champions.

Morgan was proud of the display by the fighters at the event, in particular Simmons, who managed to master the art of Muay Thai in less than two years.

“It’s very excellent for Jarryd, a very young Bermudian who’s been working hard,’’ Morgan said.

“To see what he’s been able to accomplish since he’s worked with me is tremendous. He has a very bright future if he wants to continue competing in martial arts.

“He’s been working with me from January last year and this was his first competition. He’s very athletic, he shows very good skill but more importantly, he showed commitment to learning and training, he never missed any run.

“He never missed a training session the entire 12-week camp. Before that, he came to me about a year ago and asked what he would need to do in order to compete this year.

“We laid out a plan and he followed it right to the end. His commitment to me as a coach and to his team-mates helped him learn better.

“To see rewards at the end of that shows other people that, if you commit to the programme, doing what’s asked of you, you can achieve anything you want.”

Bermuda’s small team got recognition at the international event, as they were one of the two gyms to get an accolade.

“All our other competitors who lost were defeated by the champions of the tournament, which is a great achievement for such a small island,’’ Morgan added.

“Out of the 200 gyms that attended the event, we were one of the two teams that received an honourable team award.

“It was The Cellar Gym from Roseville, Minnesota, then us. They brought 39 fighters and won the overall points including the juniors, and we only had six fighters.

“We were a much smaller group and we were singled out for our dedication to the sport. The award is given to a team that’s traditional and shows great respect for the sport.

“This trophy reflects everybody from Bermuda and how Bermudians show respect.

“There were competitors from the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Germany, Ireland, UK and there were some countries with one or two participants.”