Swimsuit Model Mia Kang Used Muay Thai to Fight Eating Disorders, Now Eyeing MMA

Swimsuit model Mia Kang found a unique way to beat anorexia and bulimia: by beating up people. In an April interview with Health magazine, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2017 Rookie of the Year discussed the struggles that once plagued her and how she overcame them with muay thai.

Kang made her muay thai debut in Thailand in early May, and on Monday she told MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour that she is looking to give MMA a whirl.

Kang was bullied as a kid for being overweight, which led her to starve herself and purge. At one point, she halved her weight. "I've been through every eating disorder you could imagine," she told Health. "I even abused laxatives."

Her new physique attracted modeling agents, and while one might think that would inspire confidence, the constant scrutiny from the modeling world contributed to her illness, Kang said. Things changed when a trip to Thailand led her to a muay thai gym—a discovery that resulted in her putting her modeling career on the shelf so she could go down the rabbit hole of combat sports.

Nine months of punching and kicking transformed her body, and she became more confident than ever. "In Asia, the ideal body type is slim with no muscle whatsoever," Kang told Health. "But in Thailand, I was completely OK with it because I've never been fitter, happier or healthier."

She summarized her story with Helwani while also going into more detail about her MMA aspirations and how her relatively newfound confidence plays a vital role in her aspirations.

Kang clearly doesn't just look at muay thai as just a workout anymore. While her initial interest was indeed for fitness reasons, she told Helwani she was drawn to the beauty and technique of muay thai. Her desire to compete came after she watched a fight at a Thai stadium, which led her to tell her trainer "I can do this. I want to do this."

While pro fighting and modeling seem like mutually exclusive professions, Kang is confident she can do both. And at this point, it's hard to doubt her.