Mia Kang was born on December 30, 1988, in Hong Kong. Her father is a British physicist, and her mother is South Korean, though she holds Swiss nationality. Kang grew up feeling out of place as a mixed-heritage child in Hong Kong’s international school community. Bullied for her weight, she drastically changed her body at age 13, dropping from a size 14 to a size 0, which led to a career in modeling. 

Mia Kang enjoyed massive success as a model, landing campaigns in several cities and appearing on the covers of Hong Kong editions of Elle and Harper’s Bazaar. However, despite her modeling success, she pursued higher education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and economics and a master’s degree in finance and financial law. Following this, she briefly worked as a commodities trader in London before returning to modeling in 2015. 

In 2016, a trip to Thailand introduced Kang to Muay Thai. Consequently, she made her professional Muay Thai debut in 2017, winning by TKO. In 2020, she published her memoir Knockout and hosted Bravo’s Spy Games, an espionage-themed reality competition series. As of 2026, Mia Kang continues to work as a model while also advocating for body positivity and healthy living.