Albuquerque Fighter Nicholas Gjelaj Competes for WBC Muay Thai U.S. Title

Albuquerque Muay Thai fighter Nicholas Gjelaj will compete for the WBC Muay Thai U.S. featherweight title in the 126-pound class against Hawaii’s Noa Moniz on August 22, 2026, in Houston, Texas, according to reports by KOB and the Albuquerque Journal. Gjelaj enters the matchup as the WBC’s No. 3 contender holding an 8-2 professional record, while Moniz occupies the No. 1 ranking for the championship belt.

Road to the WBC Title Fight in Houston

Gjelaj fights out of Kingdom Muay Thai Gym in Albuquerque and reaches the national title stage following an extensive training stint abroad. According to the Albuquerque Journal, the fighter spent 10 months living and fighting in Thailand, the birthplace of the sport, where he logged nine bouts and built up his current 8-2 record. That run included a unanimous decision victory over Texas fighter Bob Mozisek on a Coalition Muay Thai card at Expo New Mexico on January 25, 2025.

You can fight, like, every week there, Gjelaj said, as reported by the Albuquerque Journal. That’s Thailand. You just train, and then they walk up to you (and ask) if you want to fight tomorrow.

Matching Up Against Noa Moniz

His opponent, Noa Moniz, arrives in Houston as the top-ranked challenger for the featherweight crown. According to the Albuquerque Journal, Moniz has also trained extensively in Thailand and commands a large following on his home island of Oahu.

He’s kind of like the face of Hawaii right now, Gjelaj said, according to the Albuquerque Journal. He has, like, the whole place backing him up.

Gjelaj praised his opponent’s skill set while acknowledging the deep traditional roots of the sport. He’s a very skilled opponent. He’s very respectful, as Muay Thai fighters tend to be in a sport deeply rooted in Buddhist culture and Thai tradition, Gjelaj said, as reported by the Albuquerque Journal.

Rules and Expectations for the Striking Bout

According to KOB, the bout consists entirely of striking with no grappling permitted.

So what it is, it’s striking only so there’s no grappling whatsoever. And it’s just full action the whole time. There’s no breaks and pauses. If you guys stare at each other even for a little bit, Gjelaj told KOB. The ref will call action. So it’s literally just action packed the entire time.

The WBC has dipped its toe, at least, into helping to popularize Muay Thai, which allows legal blows with fists, elbows, knees, and feet. Clinches are permitted and encouraged by referees unless the action stalls or a foul occurs.

Representing Albuquerque’s Fighting Culture

Outside of competing, Gjelaj serves as the head coach at Kingdom Muay Thai in Albuquerque, where he teaches the sport daily. He views his upcoming championship opportunity as a culmination of a lifelong commitment to combat sports.

All of this is just accumulation of all the hard work that I put in my entire life, Gjelaj told KOB. And I’m just really excited to show my skill set and really what I’ve been doing since I was a kid. So I’m really excited and I feel like this is my time.

He also emphasized the deep combat sports roots present in New Mexico, pointing to notable figures connected to the local gym culture. Albuquerque, it’s a fighting state. There’s nothing like it over here, man. People love it. It’s a whole culture, you know, some of the greatest fighters of all time are here, Gjelaj told KOB. We even have Carlos Condit, who coaches at our gym here, who was a UFC champion. The culture is just, it’s built for fighting. Everyone here is just born tough.

As fight night approaches, Gjelaj’s primary objective is to maintain clarity and rely on his lifelong preparation inside the gym. Performing and doing what I do. Really, because I’ve been doing this my whole life. I know exactly what I have to do to win, Gjelaj told KOB. So it’s just about getting out of my own way, just letting it happen.