U.S. claims narrow victory over Canada at kickboxing battle of nations in Windsor

Joseph Gouda fights Dawson Yoder in the main event of KINGSS V on Jan. 31, 2026 at the WFCU Centre. (Source: Jose Castillo Photography)

American fighters narrowly topped their Canadian counterparts at a Windsor kickboxing event this weekend, taking a close best-of-seven series inside the WFCU Centre.

The fifth event hosted by the King Striking Series unfolded Saturday night under a Canada-versus-U.S. theme, with seven of the eight main-card bouts matching Canadian athletes against American opponents.

U.S. fighters claimed four of those matchups, highlighted by knockout victories from Donovan Boyd and Blair West.

Stan Mancebo, head coach at Windsor Thai Boxing and lead matchmaker for King Striking Series, said the night reflected growing support for kickboxing in the region.

“I think it went really well,” Mancebo said. “We had a lot of support, a big crowd, a lot of kickboxing fans. We had a lot of sponsorships come in this show, so it shows the community wants to grow, and we want to grow with the community as well.”

Mancebo said the promotion was created to give local fighters opportunities that previously did not exist in Windsor-Essex.

“We’re the first sanctioned kickboxing show in Windsor-Essex,” he said.

“Before that, the only options were to drive to Toronto or cross the border. We wanted to make sure we had a hometown platform and really return that grassroots combat sports feel to Windsor.”

Canada, however, finished the night on a high note, as Windsor’s Joseph Gouda earned a decisive win over Ohio-based Dawson Yoder in the main event, sending the crowd home happy despite the narrow overall loss.

Mancebo said the Canada-versus-U.S. format is likely to continue as the promotion expands.

“We always want to do Canada versus U.S. We want to put on those big fights,” he said.

“As King Striking Series grows, we’re going to see more and more talent come not only from across Canada, but across the U.S. to compete right here in Windsor.”

The event is available to watch in full online.