Israeli Muay Thai Fighter Thrashes Malignant and Unturbaned Turk

It was one of those Joe-Louis-defeats-Max-Schmeling moments, where the good guy defeats the bad guy, and his victory takes on a symbolic significance. In 1938, in a second boxing match — the first, in 1936, Schmeling won — Joe Louis, an American black man, representing the United States, defeated the German Max Schmeling. A German losing to an American was taken as a symbolic victory of the forces of freedom over the wicked dictatorship of the Nazis.

In this case, it was the Israeli Ahavat Hashem Gordon who thrashed a Turkish fighter in two rounds of Muay Thai (Thai Boxing). The symbolism was clear: A Jew defeating a Muslim, an Israeli defeating a Turk, just as Louis had defeated Schmeling in 1938. Ali Koyuncu, the malignant but unturbaned Turk, had been posting threats before the bout against Gordon and antisemitic remarks against his country, Israel. That only increased Gordon’s determination to defeat Koyuncu. More on the bout and its significance can be found here: “Israeli Muay Thai Fighter Returns Home After Victory Over Anti-Israel Turkish Rival,” by Shiryn Ghermezian, Algemeiner, February 24, 2026:

Israeli Muay Thai fighter Ahavat Hashem Gordon returned home to Israel on Monday morning after winning a match in Lithuania on Saturday night against a Turkish rival who reportedly had posted on social media a series of threats against the Israeli athlete as well as anti-Israel messages before their fight.

The 19-year-old Israeli, who is nicknamed “Golden Boy,” defeated Turkish fighter Ali Koyuncu, 25, after just two rounds at the Lithuanian UTMA 17 held at the Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas….

At the pre-fight weigh-in on Friday, Gordon was draped in an Israeli flag and wore a kippah, tzitzit, and a Star of David necklace. Koyuncu tried to grab his Israeli opponent by the throat and as officials attempted to hold the two men back from each other, the Turkish fighter managed to kick Gordon in the stomach.

Gordon wanted everyone to recognize him as both a Jew and an Israeli: the kippah, the tzitzit, the Star of David necklace, and the Israeli flag made his identity abundantly clear.

And Koyuncu delivered those surprise blows, including the kick in Gordon’s stomach, before the fight officially began. Bad sportsmanship from the malignant Turk.

Koyuncu additionally raised his middle finger at Gordon and made antisemitic threats, which led to the Israeli Embassy in Lithuania requesting increased security around Gordon ahead of the fight, according to Israel Hayom. Before getting into the ring, Koyuncu also reportedly posted a video on social media that featured a message about the “bloodshed” he hoped Gordon would suffer.

At a special press conference after arriving back home to Israel, Gordon talked about his victory.

“Everything is from God,” he said, according to Ynet. “Especially since the fight was against a Turkish opponent who is antisemitic, this whole week was crazy. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for my entire life. If I had let everything that was happening get into my head, it would have thrown me off balance and I would have stopped this fight.”…

Like Joe Louis standing over a beaten Max Schmeling, Gordon stood over a defeated Koyuncu, whose pre-bout kick in Gordon’s surprised stomach made clear what kind of man he is. And now, after all his antisemitic threats and boxing braggadocio, he will slink back to Turkey, where no crowds will greet him, and Koyuncu will have some ‘splainin to do: how can a Muslim, and thus one of the “best of peoples,” allow himself to be defeated by a Jew, and an Israeli one at that, who is one of the “most vile of created beings”? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the most malignant Turk, who no doubt was expecting to invite a triumphal Koyuncu to his 1,500-room White Palace (Ak Saray), will not be happy.