JALAL KHATIB
OWNER
Jalal moved to Tampa, FL in 1992 for college and studied business management. Discovering Muay Thai in 2001, he fell in love. 7 trips to Thailand and lots of hard work later, a dream became a reality when in 2005 he opened Tampa Muay Thai. In his off time, Jalal fuels (no pun intended) his obsession with anything that has a motor and is an avid motorcycle and classic car collector. Random fact: He grew up playing rugby in the United Kingdom.

CARISSA KHATIB
GENERAL MANAGER
Having grown up in the North East, Carissa moved to Florida in 2009. She is a certified Barr Method and Yoga instructor. Carissa joined the Tampa Muay Thai family in 2016 and has been an integral part of our management team ever since. In her free time, she loves to spend time on the water paddle boarding and wakeboarding with her family.

DAMIAN ROMERO
MANAGER
Damian encountered Muay Thai after moving back to the United States from Switzerland in 2003. Spending a few months training in Thailand in 2004 sealed his fate and Muay Thai became an integral part of his life ever since. When not at the gym, you can find him at the beach, playing with his dog or working on some backyard/house/car project. Random fact: He speaks 4 languages!

DAVID “DATO” GOGICHAISHVILLI
HEAD TRAINER
Our head coach Dato was born in the Democratic Republic of Georgia and started Muay Thai at the age of 15. Over the next decade, he amassed over 140 fights, fighting in Russia and all over Europe before moving to the US in 2012 and joining Tampa Muay Thai. He has since earned the respect of everyone as a coach, a father, a friend and all-around awesome person. When not teaching, you can usually find him taking a nap somewhere. Random fact: When he was young, Dato was on the school physics and math team.

ALEX BERRIOS
TRAINER
Alex started his Muay Thai journey in 2006 at Tampa Muay Thai. Over the years he amassed almost 40 fights in the US as well as Thailand. With a Muay Femur fighting style he has a high fight IQ and is a strong clincher. In his free time, you can find him flying planes or spending time with the family. A little random fact, Alex lived in Japan and is fluent in Japanese!

JASON CHANG
TRAINER
After 10 years of Kung Fu in Jamaica, Jason discovered Muay Thai in 2007. Not having to waste time with traditional martial arts hierarchies was refreshing and he fell in love with Muay Thai. He has been a part of our family ever since. He is an absolute beast in the clinch so if you have and clinch questions, Jason is your man! Random fact: Jason is obsessed with Halloween and can do fingertip push-ups!

ANSON DIAZ
TRAINER
Anson is one of our OGs. Having started right here at Tampa Muay Thai in 2006, he trained and fought for a few years before pursuing his passion for teaching Muay Thai and MMA. When not at the gym you’ll likely find him somewhere on the water fishing or kayaking.

JILLIAN BOSSERDET
TRAINER
Born and raised in NY, Jill joined our TMT family in 2011. Instantly hooked, she took off to Thailand to train and fight for a year. Upon return, Jill competed all over the US as well as Canada whilst earning her Yoga Instructor and Health Coach certifications (if you have questions about strength and flexibility, Jill is your girl!). When she’s not at the gym, you can find her frolicking outdoors. Random fact: Jill read all the Harry Potter books. 8 times.

JOEY DEFIBAUGH
TRAINER
Joey is homegrown, born and raised right here in the sunshine state. He started his Muay Thai journey in 2010 and made his way to TMT via Jax Muay Thai. When not at the gym, Joey spends his time as a barista, playing video games and cooking. Hint: He makes the best orange chicken in town!

RONALDO GOICOLEA
TRAINER
Born in Cuba, Ronnie lived in Brazil where he discovered Muay Thai before moving to Florida in 2016. He joined our family in 2020 and has been training, working and fighting for our gym ever since. When not at the gym he takes cares of disabled dogs. Random fact: Ronnie is a Cuban chess champion!

EMILIA COLON
TRAINER
Having joined Tampa Muay Thai in 2021, Emi is one of our newest TMT family members. This girl is a firecracker in the ring and has some of the prettiest technique you’ll ever see. When not at work you can find her doing yoga stretches in the park or browsing around Farmers Markets. Random Fact: Emi can crochet anything and if you’re really nice to her, you might get a sweater for Christmas.

ARMANDO BEJARANO
TRAINER
Armando is born and raised right here in Florida. In 2010 he started wrestling and in 2016 Discovered Jiu-jitsu. He has since earned his brown belt and approaches Jiu-jitsu with a refreshing teaching style. In his free time he is an avid reptile collector. A Random fact: Armando is a saxophone playing machine!

PEANUT & SAM
Our official gym security. They’re vicious, just look at those pictures.