ONE WARRIOR SERIES IS COMING TO KOTA KINABALU !

I remember in 2008, Mixed martial arts was still an anomaly to many. As a martial artist I was fascinated with the series of Fight Quest by Discovery Channel hosted by MMA fighter Jimmy Smith and army vet Doug Anderson; also the Human Weapon series by History Channel hosted by MMA fighter Jason Chambers and wrestler Bill Duff. It was really captivating to see them travelling to countries such as Japan, Israel, Philippines to learn from various masters on different styles of martial arts.

Fast forward to 2018. Mixed martial arts is booming and has become the fastest growing sports in the world. 

In Asia, ONE Championship reign supreme. It is the largest global sports media property in Asian history and hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions.

In Nov 2016, ONE Championship announced the launch of ONE Warrior Series, hosted by Rich Franklin.  In the series Rich, a former multiple-time middleweight world champion, will travel to various Asian nations to visit local gyms beginning in Bangkok, Manila, Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing to discover new and upcoming martial arts talent.

Deserving prospects will be rewarded with a USD 100,000++ contract with ONE Championship!

The promotion’s elite video production team will be following Franklin’s journey across the region, chronicling the action to produce a series of compelling documentary videos.

Catch the first two episode here:

Rich

Franklin, Vice President of ONE Championship and CEO of ONE Warrior Series, stated:
“Asia is the hotbed of the industry’s top martial arts prospects. It comes as no surprise, since martial arts has been home to the region for the past 5,000 years. 

Throughout my time in ONE Championship, I have been witness to some of the best martial arts talent I have ever seen. Stars today such as Angela Lee and Eduard Folayang came from the grassroots level of talent in Asia, and the next martial arts superstar is just waiting to be discovered. 

Follow me on this journey to showcase Asia’s greatest cultural treasure, and join me on the hunt to find ONE Championship’s new wave of superstars.”

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: 

“At ONE Championship, one of our biggest missions is taking martial arts, Asia’s greatest cultural treasure, and placing it front and center for the entire world to witness. One of the ways to do this is by developing local homegrown martial arts superheroes. We are excited to travel across Asia, visiting the most iconic cities, to discover the next big superstar."

Chatri Sityodtong

ONE Warrior Series aims to discover new talent, providing promising young athletes with the platform to unleash their martial arts greatness, at the same time Rich and ONE Warrior Series director Jonathan Fong will also immerse themselves in the local culture and do some sight seeing.

For Malaysian, especially as a Sabahan, it's truly a great honour that ONE Warrior Series, after kick-starting the series in Bangkok the fight capital of Asia, has decided to make Kota Kinabalu (KK), Sabah as their third stop after Jakarta. They will be in KK on 23 FEB 2018.

This is certainly a great acknowledgement for Sabah, as the hotbed for martial arts talent in Malaysia. The venue will be at Borneo Tribal Squad (BTS), which is founded by AJ Pyro and the home gym of Ann Osman. 

Ann, being the 1st Malaysian female pro MMA athlete, was the trail blazer for female MMA in Asia. The charismatic Ann has hold the torch as the ambassador for the sports in Asia and amassed a fight record of 5-4. She last fought for ONE in Kuala Lumpur in August last year. Ann has announced her retirement from fight last Nov and has taken an executive role in ONE Championship.

AJ Pyro  is Ann's coach and one of the pioneer in Malaysian MMA. He was one of the earliest MMA athlete to fight pro in ONE FC ( which was known as previously ) and won the ONE Championship Malaysian National Featherweight title in 2013. AJ last fought for ONE Championship in Jakarta in Jan 2017.

AJ now focuses on developing new local talent. His gym BTS is known as one of the gym with the highest number of pro MMA athlete in Malaysia, with the likes of aforementioned Ann, there are also Audreylaura, Kelvin Ong, Hisyam Samsudin, Allen Solomon Chong.

Ann Osman and her coach AJ Pyro

Kota Kinabalu is also fastly becoming the fight capital of Borneo with many local promotion being held here, such as STAND, JFL, FIGHT FEST, SGQ, RAMPAGE FC and COPA DE BORNEO

By having the tryout in Kota Kinabalu will certainly help promote this tropical city to more people and position Kota Kinabalu as a good spot for combat sports tourism. Sabah's has so much to offer, with its friendly people and the natural beauty ranging from lush green jungle, mesmerising coral to the majestic Mount Kinabalu, it's a heaven for tourist.

Sabah has the historical heritage of the native warrior tribe that practice headhunting in the old days.  This surely will be a subject that Rich Franklin and team will want to find out more about.

Aside from that, I bet the deliciously fresh seafood and the tantalising local Kadazan Dusun dishes will be on Rich Franklin's menu.

In Bangkok, Rich ate scorpion, perhaps when in Kota Kinabalu he will try the sago worm ( inset picture ).

On 23 FEB, the screening and tryouts process will consist of pad sessions, grappling demonstrations, conditioning exams, and an interview process, among others.
Those interested for the tryouts can come walk in on that day or register earlier
( click here to register )

( click here for Borneo Tribal Squad  location ) 

Things to prepare:

• Athletic attire
• MMA gloves and focus mitts or Thai pads
• A coach to hold pads and a grappling partner
• Passport
• A translator if you are unable to speak English

Rich (left) with Jonathan Fong and guest judges; Thai MMA stars Rika Ishige and Shanon Wiratchai (on the right ) briefing the prospect in Bangkok

Physical preparation is one thing, come mentally prepared too as the team will interview you too to evaluate your mindset

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, 

follow them on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, 

and like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

with Rich Franklin in ONE Championship KL

Rampage FC - the new MMA kid on the block.

Tucked in the corner of a first floor shop lot in Penampang, lies Sabah Top Team gym. Lead by Italian Antonio Battistessa, whom is married to a Sabahan and now calls Sabah his second home. Antonio was the first person to pioneer Muaythai in Sabah and from his MMA experience in Europe, was also among the first person to give MMA seminar in Borneo. Antonio is also the first person to bring Luta Livre, a form of grappling self defense ( with out Gi ) to this region. (Read about Antonio in my previous post)

Come this Saturday 13 MAY 201, Antonio will introduce Rampage FC. Although not the first MMA competition here, but it will be a first championship to be held in a cage inside a gym. 

Rampage is name for this championship, base on the name of the fight gear brand he founded just last year and Rampage FC will promote the brand to the martial arts community. Antonio finds that most fight gloves in the market are too thin. Rampage gloves are full leather fits snugly and are very suitable and safe for sparring practice and for amateur MMA competition. Rampage also produces shin guard which will be use at this championship too.

RAMPAGE fight gear

Rampage FC is also a platform for local referees to build more MMA judging experience. Antonio will be supervising the judging. Using his MMA experience, he wants to share his knowledge and equip the local referees and judges with more technical knowledge to judge an MMA fight. To do this, he will give a short seminar and coaching clinic to them before Rampage FC starts at 6pm.

The idea of a in-house MMA competition has been lingering in Antonio's head since last year. In order to make it a reality he needs a cage, and he began planning for a MMA cage to be built inside his gym. It was completed in Mac 2017 and has since became a training ground for his students to get use to fighting inside a cage.

The cage was also 'baptized' by an MMA seminar conducted by champion trainer and head coach from Team Lakay Philipine - Mark Sangiao in mac this year.

Mark Sangiao MMA seminar

Antonio has been growing Sabah Top Team (STT) steadily. To him STT is a work in progress, he is always looking for new ideas and new project to grow STT. On top of martial arts classes, STT now offers dance class, Pilloxing and functional fitness program. 

The new functional fitness gym is called Ape Box. Lead by Victor Lo, a local Sabahan that has experience in many Cross Fit competition. Although a independent gym, with members of its own, but STT members can enroll for the functional fitness program under one membership.

Injuries are common problems faced by martial artist and active people. Antonio believes that small injury if treated early will enable fighters to recover faster and always fighting fit rather than waiting for it to worsen. With this in mind STT now also offers physiotherapy and injury treatment. STT now house Borneo Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Centre run by Dr. Fadzil.

Another great addition to STT is a food area. Located at the balcony of the gym, Damn Good Burgers is run by Ash Ashraf, whom is Antonio's ex student. Damn GOod Burgers offers 100% ground beef from Australia and is also one of the sponsors for rampage FC. Fighters will get to savour the succulent and juicy meat patties tomorrow as they load up after weighing-in on Friday.

Damn Good Burgers

Going back to Rampage FC, this will also be the first time a grappling match for kids are organised. Antonio is targeting to have 21 kids to participate in the very first Little Grapplers, which is open only for kids 10 years and below. This will be held at 3 pm, ahead of Rampage FC.

MILO supporting the development of little grapplers

Exciting match up is on the cards for Rampage FC 1.

One of the bout to watch for is between two upcoming female MMA athletes.
Gloria Isabelle Hoong from Sabah Top Team vs Edilah Nadrah bt Johany from Borneo Tribal Squad.
Let's get to know them a bit more.

Edilah or better known as Ila to her friends is from Ranau of Dusun heritage. Very athletic since she was at a young age, joining sports in school from the influence of her family members whom all are athletic too.

Ila took up Taekwondo in primary school and won bronze and gold in a few inter-district tournament. In high school she dropped martial arts and became active in track and fields. It was non other than compatriot Sabahan Ann Osman whom inspired Ila to took up martial arts again. She started training at Ann's own gym Fitness Rites and later on progress to Borneo Tribal Squad (BTS) under head coach AJ Pyro as Ila wants to take up fighting seriously and BTS is fame to be the local elite MMA fight camp.

According to BTS team manager Emily Barner, " Ila is very driven, she really wants to train hard and fight and she is willing to put in the hard work. She always shows up and I have never seen or hear her complain. She is tough! and this will be her first MMA fight, it's only the beginning for her."

Standing across the cage to Ila is Gloria. A Sino-Kadazan from Penampang. Martial arts was not her first sports. Gloria was into rock / sports climbing. In her Uni days in West Malaysia, she was the president of the climbing club and participated in numerous competition.

It was when she's back in Sabah that she took up martial arts. This young lady in her short time training under Antonio in Sabah Top Team has achieved much. STAND 3 K1 - Gold, Sabah Inter-District Muaythai 2016 - Gold, BAC 3 MMA - Gold, BAC4 K1 - Gold, Muay Fight Night 2017 - Gold and most recently Borneo Cup 2017 - Gold. All this won't happened if not for a Groupon voucher she got online. She dragged her friend together to STT for the first class.

It was initially fitness and basic Muaythai for her, but she picked up very fast and began to show good potential. After a few months Antonio signed her up for a kickboxing match in Fight Fest 3. Gloria was reluctant at first as she thinks that she doesn't train enough and was still juggling between her favorite activity of climbing. She lost her first fight. The fear to go back in the ring was there, but to overcome that fear...she deiced to face it head on and decided to joined more fights.

She prefers to keep the fight on the feet but is well prepared to go to the ground from the Luta Livre training Antonio has drilled her with. Gloria puts in hard training daily after her day job in the accounts and finance department of Dekojaya. But when it comes weekend she will rest at home and hang out with family and catching a movie to chill out.

When it comes to food, she is not choosy, adventurous with food and willing to give anything a try. Obviously being a Sino-Kadazan Butod (Sago worm) should not be a turn off for her, but she has only tried the deep fried one...not the live one yet...perhaps after she got victory on Saturday night.
As for Damn Good Burgers, Gloria said it definately lives up to its name.
" It's damn good ! Juicy and tasty!" She recommends the lamb burger and always order double patties!

For those of you whom have a stereotype of how fighters are, especially female fighters, let this be known that this female fight is between two very smart individuals. Gloria is a Monash University graduate, with a Medical Bioscience degree under a full scholarship program. Meanwhile Ila is doing her masters of science in University Malaysia Sabah in the field of biodiversity and biosystem, doing research on insects! This is a battle of the scientist!

The main card  fight in heavyweight is definately a must watch. We have Tham Yaw Kent from Team Karabaw will face New Zealander Yannis Yokkokis from Borneo Top Team Sibu. Kent is a familiar face in local MMA, he was two times MIMMA semi-finalist and in 2015 became JFL 1st Heavyweight champion.

Meanwhile Yannis is a new comer in MMA. The last time he was in Sabah was in October's 2016 Fight Fest 3 where he won by KO in round one. Then in Nov last year he was in Penang's Warrior FC which saw him overcame MIMMA 4 finalist Niker Tan in round two with ground and pound. Yannis has a day job as a helicopter pilot for the Flying Doctor service.

This heavyweight match will surely not go 3 full rounds with the amount of power both of this two hold in their hands, a KO is surely on the cards...let's see who gets it...it will be total Rampage!

Other fighters to look out for are Mohd Raziman, a prolific youngsters that is on the verge of greatness in MMA. He has a certain McGregor swagger in himself and is poised to a showman that will entertain fight fans.

From Keningau MMA, the team that always is ready to rumble will bring 4 fighters. Look out for Leo Kataposan's fight vs Alexander Fong of BTS. This will be a fast pace action as both this flyweight possess enough technical skills to have a back and fourth barn burner of a fight. A contender for fight of the night.

  

BORNEO INVASION @ MIMMA3 - DARREN SOLOMON LOW

The towering giant from Sabah, Darren is a Brzailian Jiujitsu specialist. In 2014 MIMMA2 Darren chalk up all his wins by submission, and all ended in round 1.

In the finals of 2014 he met Zulhanizam of Selangor to fight for the heavyweight title which was vacated by Adrian Tham of Sabah. Darren knowing his opponent is strong in MuayThai managed to take him down and got a Kimura that ended the fight. Crowning him the heavyweight belt.

Defending his Heavyweight title against Niker Tan from Penang will see Darren facing another striker. Niker has a record of 6-0-0. Having 4 KO/TKO from that record. Darren will look to neutralise Niker's stand upo game with his superior grappling, but Darren has also sharpen his striking, so perhaps we may see a slug fest of the giants or maybe another quick ending submission from the Sabahan.

Darren has an intimidating look, but deep down he is a gentle giant. But come fight night, he will be a beast and will make sure the belt stays with Sabah this coming Saturday.

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How old are you this year?

27 years on earth with the face of a 40 year old, soul of a 50 year old, injuries of a 60 year old and heart of an 18 year old.

Since when did u pick up martial arts?were u the typical type who did karate/TKD in school?

My first ever martial art was Karate with Michelle Koh (now famous for Zumba in KK). I was about 11 years old and really enjoyed it, but stopped class to take up gymnastics instead. This was 60-70kgs ago.
I later did a bit of Judo with my brother during high school, but I joined in irregularly just for fun.

Since when did u pick up BJJ / MMA?

After a back injury from lifting weights wrongly, I started BJJ as a way to keep active at Ground Zero Academy in Melbourne at the start of 2008 under Rob Williams.

I later moved back to Malaysia for good in 2009 and trained under Marcos Escobar who remains my professor to this day.

I started MMA only last year in 2014 after my old friend ‘Uncle’ Adrian Tham recommended I give MIMMA season 2 a try, since he had a very positive experience from season 1.I took his advice and truly have no regrets.

At the time I had just started training boxing and wanted to test my abilities as a martial artist and fighter.


Were you in the core group of BJJ Borneo that started training at KK YMCA some years back?

Used to train with Allen Chong and the old gang during my University holidays!

This was back in 2008 with just a handful of us forming BJJ Borneo, before we brought in Chico Mendes and affiliated under Checkmat to get proper training, coaching and guidance that saw a small group of friends grow into a full blown competition club; some of the best times ever.

What's your fight record? Which is your hardest fight so far? Which fight u are most satisfied with?

I’m relatively inexperienced with a 3-0 amateur record and all wins by submission.

My hardest fight was not even a recorded match, but was during the MIMMA season 2 trials against big man Shaiful ‘Badang’ Rosli.Before the trials, I had a grade 3 ligament tear in my right leg and was out of training for almost 2 months: I was deconditioned and utterly out of shape. Not to mention my leg was still injured.

Anyway, the grappling round and pad work was manageable, but during the sparring round I sprained my shoulder from a lack of warm-up, then ate something like eight leg kicks (thankfully to my uninjured leg) and I remember falling down in pain from my injured leg as I went for a sloppy take down.

Luckily I managed to land 2 hooks to the head and that was enough to convince the judges to let me through – very dramatic and emotional stuff.

The fight I’m most satisfied with would have to be my last Championship fight against IjamAsri. I had a great fight camp at AKA Thailand and was guided by renowned coach Marco ‘Sharpei’ Machado. Everything went to plan and we came out with the victory.


What is your favorite techniques?

Don’t really have a favourite technique to be honest.
I seem to catch most of my opponents with shoulder locks for some reason.

Where do you train currently? Which gym do u represent?

Now that I’m based in KL for work, I train at several gyms over in West Malaysia but represent my main gym Marcos Escobar BJJ (shared gym with Street Fight Wing Chun).

I do boxing at Alex’s Gym, MMA work at Klinch, Grappling/Wrestling at Marcos Escobar BJJ and Conditioning work at Pushmore.

Back home in Sabah, I train at Alpha MMA with Allen Chong or at Valor Martial Arts with Richie Ismail.

Did my conditioning work at X45 with Samuel Tan.

I also did boxing with Ferdinand Santos who has now opened up his own gym Aristo Fitness.

You born in which part of Sabah?Tell me a bit on your family background? How many siblings? 

I’m a KK ( Kota Kinabalu ) boy, born and raised.
Very fortunate and blessed to have a loving family who feeds me with good food and supports me in all my sports and activities.

What's your sweet memory of growing up in Sabah?

Sweetest memories would have to be all my 'yim cha' ( tea break ) sessions with old friends, 'ngiu chap' ( beef noodles ) lunches, 'konlau mien' ( dry noodles ) suppers and monginum ( drinking ) nights!

Any of the siblings into martial arts like you?

I have one younger brother who did Judo and Boxing before me but has stopped for a while – he’s the reason I did combat sport in the first place.
 

Are u born big? Or u train up your body? 

Amongst the boys in my generation I’m probably going to be the shortest one when my cousins grow up!!!
I train the hardest though! Hahaha!

Work life. How do u find having a day job, having to train & commit to a fight? 

Do you see yourself going Pro in future?

Balancing a full time job with training for a fight has been incredibly difficult, but thankfully I have a great team to support me at work and very supportive family who help me out with daily tasks, such as cooking and cleaning.

I would definitely like to go Pro in the future, but first I want to go as far as I can as an amateur without contractual obligations.

In preparation for Grand Final, what do u see in Niker Tan that u think u need to be cautious about?

He has great heart and a never give up attitude, so mentally he looks very strong.

How do you find training in West Mal vs in East Mal? Can u get good sparring partner in Malaysia?

I guess that main difference would be the number of foreign coaches that are in West Malaysia and the larger market size (which also means a lot of clowns and jokers pretending to be able to teach).

With MMA being such a new sport in Malaysia, the foreign coaches bring with them such wealth in knowledge and experience to the local scene that I believe is necessary for bringing up the overall level of fighters in Malaysia.

Sabahans are a super tough bunch in general, but it’s hard for many of my friends back home to excel at higher levels due to a lack of guidance – most of the dedicated Sabahan coaches travel overseas to fight camps to learn new techniques and teach their students.

Great sparring partners are available in Malaysia for sure, but usually at different gyms.

As a heavyweight, do u particularly watch your food?

Besides trying my best to cut out fried, processed and sugary foods, I also try to eat just enough to give me energy for training and recovery.

Eating too much seems to put too much of a strain on my digestive system and makes me slow during training, whereas eating too little leads to me overtraining and burning out.
What's your typical diet like during this one month before fight?

Typical diet consists of grilled meats, canned tuna, salad, yoghurt, whole meal biscuits, rice, pasta, eggs and fruits.

Cheat meals 2-3 times a week usually.

What's your non diet food? cheat meal?

Anything from 'Bah KutTeh' ( meat herbs soup ) to Ice Cream, but I try to avoid oily foods as it slows down my digestion for training.

Is there a MMA personality that u look up to?

I would have to say Jose Aldo. I’ve yet to meet him, but my friends have trained with him and have nothing but good things to say. His fights are exciting and his background story of blood, sweat and tears to go from poverty to the top where he still stays humble and grounded is really admirable.

How do u describe yourself , personality wise....& what's you principle on life? 

I’m just a small town boy chasing big dreams.
If achieving your dreams means having to work extra hard - then do it as long as it doesn’t kill you.

What motivates u to fight?

I fight because I enjoy the challenge of pushing myself to face my fears and the limits of what my body and mind can achieve.

What is your opinion of the MMA scene in Malaysia generally & Borneo specifically?

The MMA scene here has so much potential because LOCAL MALAYSIANS want MMA!

If you look at places like Thailand, despite being renowned for MMA, it’s the foreigners who want MMA, not the locals! So how far can the sport actually go there in the long term with the exception of tourist revenue from Phuket?

Singapore is experiencing a surge in talent rushing into its Brazilian Jiu Jitsu scene and it’s already produced some legit home grown athletes.

I sincerely hope Malaysia follows the same path!

Borneo has some serious talent around – not just in MMA but for so many other sports.

However, realistically spending power and market size is a real struggle for many of the gym owners back home.

Due to lower profits, it is very difficult for the privately owned gyms to afford foreign coaches, and as such, it’s harder for the more advanced students to progress as fast.

This is all just according to my personal opinion of course.

What is your opinion on MIMMA?

It’s been an amazing experience and I really take my hats off to all the crew involved who have done, in my opinion, a fantastic job (no I’m not getting paid to say this).

People can say whatever they want, but at the end of the day, the MMA scene in Malaysia wouldn’t be making the progress it’s had without MIMMA. Period.

Anything that makes you proud as a Sabahan?

VERYTHING about Sabah makes me proud to be Sabahan…
…except the HORRIBLE drivers in KK.
PLEASSSSSE for the love of our identity, learn to drive!!! Hahaha!!!

BORNEO INVASION @ MIMMA3 - JACE LAW

Jason Law or Jace as he like to be called is from Kuching Sarawak. Another nickname that unofficially has been given to him is JKO. Yup, Jace has been collecting KO & TKO enroute to his Grand Final appearance this 10.10.15.

In 2014 MIMMA season 2, Jace won KO & TKO in the initial round but his journey halted at Semis losing by  decision. Knowing that his stand up striking is his forte he is very determine to make amend this year by improving on his grappling. Jace has preparing well under GymBox head coach Matt Pellino. Training with his other high levels team mates they have push each other to be better all the time.

Alongside Jace, Gymbox Kuching will also have Melvin Kho & Ahmadjon in the Grand Finals. His other team mates, Mardonov just won Jesselton Fight League Lightweight title in Sabah on 4.10.15 and Stephen Onn Jenggieng ( MIMMA2 finalist ) won the National Golden Gloves boxing in Sept. With team mates at that high level, there's no doubt Jace had a good training camp to prepare him for his own title match.

Jace won 3 times in the initial round of MIMMA3, winning by 1 KO & 1 TKO, in Semis he met his good friends Samuel Lai of Sabah, perhaps pulling some punches he won by unanimous decision.
But make no mistake, in the Grand Finals Jace won't be showing any mercy for Muhd Hasrul.
Hasrul as the defending champion is also a heavy striker. It will be a good war between two prolific strikers, and bringing back the Lightweight belt to Kuching is Jace ultimate goal.

Let's get to know him a little better...

You can also catch a write up on him and Gymbox on my earlier posting here

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Hi Jace, what is your heritage? Tell me a bit on your family background?
My dad's Chinese and my mom's Filipino so I'm of mixed heritage...and proud of it.

Tell me how you feel reaching the final of MIMMA? Do u expect this?
Well I feel very happy and honoured to reach this grand stage...its like the Wrestlemania of Amateur MMA in Asia.. so yeah I'm super excited! Haha! And yes I do expect it as I've been preparing and training relentlessly for this with a great coach and team helping me and each other out.

There are people labeling you JKO for your regular KO win over your opponent, are you happy with this? or you have another nick name?
Well the JKO thing was actually just a joke among my team mates..obviously a parody of Randy Orton's RKO...They started using the hashtag on facebook and instagram and next thing you know I'm being promoted as JKO on the MIMMA page..I'm fine with the nickname... Actually grown into liking it... And no I don't have any other nicknames, 

not that I know of at least haha.
You are very focus in the cage, what goes through your mind when you first step into the cage?
First thing that goes into my mind when I step into the cage is to be calm and steady. Get comfortable and then do what has to be done.

Do you get much attention at uni/college for reaching the MIMMA final?
Hmmm...no haha

What's your game plan? stand & strike or challenge him on the ground?
Well I can't really say...I think the best is to adapt to the situation and not limit myself to only one aspect of fighting. However as usual I do prefer it if we keep the fight standing.

Have you studied your opponents fighting style, he looks like a big slugger in MIMMA2, do you see any weakness to be exploited?
No I left that all to my coach he'll tell me what to work on and whatnot...my job is to show up at the gym and train whilst keeping myself healthy leading up to the fight.

What is your MMA fight record to date?
My fight record is 7-2

To date which fight for you is the toughest? and which is the most satisfying win?
Toughest fight was MIMMA 2 Semi Finals against Mok Judo. Most satisfying win is against Vinod Dave. Both tough opponents and both have my respect.

Please share your thoughts and experience training in TMT?
It was tough and challenging but fun at the same time. Made new friends along the way. 

A really great experience overall.
MIMMA3 finals will be a big event with plenty of media coverage, how do you feel?
Do you feel like a underdog going into this fight?
I feel nervous and excited simultaneously. It’s a feeling I always get leading up to a fight, 

only this time its amplified. And since I'm the challenger in this title fight I am the underdog..

How do you feel about the support given by MIMMA's team?
Its great. The MIMMA team is awesome. All good people.

Preparing for fight in the final weeks must be intense...what is your training schedule like in a week?
Intense as always. I train once in the morning and once in the evening. Everyday except the weekends. During the weekends its only one session in the afternoon.

Usually how do you unwind after a hard training week?
Easy. Hanging out with my friends and team mates. And of course spending time with my girlfriend too LOL

What is your normal weight? Do you have to cut much weight for Lightweight?
I walk around 74kg all the time give or take. Don't have to cut alot I guess. I don't like cutting weight and I'm fine with fighting bigger guys.

What's your message to Hasrul?
Well, I respect him as a person and as a fighter. 

But there can only be one champion...and I will give everything I have on that night to be the new MIMMA lightweight champion.
All the best to you for a win this Grand Finals Jace!
Thanks for having me bro as always I really appreciate it

BORNEO INVASION @ MIMMA3 - HAFIZUL HAKIM

This 20 year old lad helm from the small town of Sipitang in Sabah. Completed his STPM at S.M Pengiran Omar, Sipitang. He started MMA training only a year ago. He reached the Semi Finals of Jesselton Fight League but had to pull out as it clashed with his TESL exam. During his school days basketball was more of his things. He has heard of UFC & MMA but being in Sipitang didn't expect that training is already available in Sabah.

Together with his home town friend Ricky Cheong whom has the same interest to train in MMA, they met up with Sensei Rayner of Karabaw Gym, and he started teaching them and help them in setting up a gym in Sipitang. Hafizul and Ricky would train in Karabaw Gym in Kota Kinabalu,
back home in Sipitang these two friends trains at home and at time in school compound.

Now Ricky as owner of Karabaw Gym Sipitang has got a fixed place for them to train and they have not look back since, with members increasing and awareness of MMA from Hafizul's success.

Hafizul or Popo to his close friends, is a relentless bull. According to Sensei Rayner, this lad can eat punches like cookies and have the endurance of a pick up truck! He is well rounded and in good shape. With 3 fights winning streak : 2 TKO and 1 split decision Hafizul will challenge Muhd Aiman of Negeri Sembilan for the featherweight title.

Aiman will not be a easy game for Hafizul as Aiman is seasoned MIMMA contestant. He was the finalist in season 1, loosing to eventual Champion Prabu Somanaidu. Again in 2014, he qualified for the finals but didn't make weight, which saw Seah Zhang Yu, the opponent he beat in the Contender fight became the eventual Flyweight Champion.

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Where are you from? Are you pure KadazanDusunMurut (KDM)? what's your heritage?
Basically I live in sipitang, I was born in Kuala Penyu, Sabah.  I'm mixed, my father is Iban+Chinese and my mum is Dusun.. therefore I'm Iban..you can follow my ig account hhakeem08 and my facebook Hafizul Hakeem.. hehe.. promoting! :P

Tell me how you feel reaching the final of MIMMA? Do you expect this?
I really didn't expect to reach this level, but nothing is impossible. I did my very best in every fight so that's why it brought me to the finals. I'm super excited to fight at the grand final, it is my 1st title match. I hope and will do the best to make the belt to be on my waist.

Since when did you get involve in martial arts? Can you tell me a bit on your martial arts journey?
I'm a big fan of UFC, and thats when I started to like MMA. First I joined boxing, but it was unorthodox boxing. We learn and teach each other. Before I join #Karabaw I learn a few grappling knowledge from youtube, after that I started to notice Karabaw gym in Austral Park , Kota Kinabalu and I went there.. and that's how I met my beloved coach/brother Rayner Kinsiong...hahahaha..

What motivates you to fight?
I think it's because of my doers attitude, I'm always up for anything that I like. Since I like MMA so I did and give my best to this sport. Although it took a lot of time and money but I still want it. Besides, my family and my girlfriend also supporting me. They always concern about my weight and control my eating habit because I really love to eat! Hahaha..

You are still studying right? currently where?
No, I'm currently looking for a permanent job. I'm hoping that I can find a job that allow me to train and work.

Do you get much attention in Sipitang for reaching the MIMMA3 final?
Yup, a lot of people that I dont know starting to greet me and it was good because I like making friends.

What's your game plan? stand & strike or challenge him on the ground?
Ahhh, I'm planning to go with the flow, if he wanted to go for the ground then ground it is and vice versa. But I'm planning to fight calm and not rushing, I just want to feel the 3 minutes x 3 rounds in the cage...

Have you studied your opponents fighting style & noted any weakness?
Emm, yes of course..
Yeap I notice a weakness that I can take advantage off..so I already prepare a few moves to fight with him.

Aiman has defeated your team mate Douglas, how do you feel meeting him in final?
Douglas! I'll avenge him for you brother, and I will make my team proud of me and I want Team Karabaw to be a well known gym for creating a great fighter.

What is your MMA fight record to date?
I think its 5-1, I had one lost at the Full Metal Dojo, its Lightweight title. You can check it at Tapology, but there were a mistake at the website for spelling my name wrong, my name do not have Muhammad, my name is Hafizul Hakim.. change that pls :)

Which fight for you is the toughest? and which is the most satisfying win?
Errr.. the toughest fight is against Damon Soo. He was so strong, his punches were heavy and makes me hard to chew my food for 2 days. Hahaha..

What was the experience in TMT like?
TMT, it's one of the best fight camp in the world.. there is a lot of pro fighters there and more experience for sure. Since we went there for 5 days so sorry to say that only get a few techniques and tips, but if I'm staying there for a few months I think I will be a better fighter.. :)

What's your message to Aiman?

AIMAN, LET'S FIGHT!

Fight Fest - Act of War

The 2nd coming of Fight Fest. This time in Citymall Kota Kinabalu on the 6 Sept 2015. The 1st Fight Fest - King of Kings was only held 5 months ago in April 2015. In this short time Fight Fest has grown. From 11 bouts in April they have grown two fold. This time 24 bouts is planned.

The growth of combat sports event certainly augurs well for Borneo & Sabah specifically. Local events like this gives opportunity for new comers to participate to gain exposure and experience. Organisers usually also mixed in some experience fighters to give the events a good mix of old & new. For the newcomers they can learn from the seniors. For the seniors they get to showcase their skills and build on their fight records.

Mixing it up is also the forte of Fight Fest, being a hybrid combat sports event that combine K1 Kickboxing and MMA fights in one competition, offers fight fans more variety of fights. This also brings together martial artist from different gym & different background to exchange techniques & experience.

Being only the 2nd event, Fight Fest is still growing. It hopes to bring K1 rules fights to the forefront of martial arts scene in Borneo. Fight Fest 2 will have Amateur K1 Kickboxing: 70kg Super 4, Amateur MMA: 56kg Super 4 and 20 exhibitions matches of kickboxing and MMA. Participants from Singapore, Philippines, Brunei, Sarawak, Labuan & Malaysia will be settling their score in a boxing ring this Sunday.

Fight Fest is sanctioned by the International Sports Kickboxing Association (ISKA) Asia, International Mixed Martial Art Federation (IMMAF) & Sabah Mixed Martial Art Association. Venue sponsor by Citymall, official drinks by Power Root Sdn Bhd.

September 5th will be the weight in day starting from 10am onwards, while September 6th will be the fight day. Entry is free and there will be games hosted by Power Root & Sabah Top Team to the open public. For more info, call Johan Julian Lee at 0168311440 or follow the event updates at facebook: www.facebook.com/borneofightfest

Tournament format is the backbone of martial art competiton, we see this in traditional martial arts competition such as TaeKwonDo, Karate, Silat etc. But as competition heats up and fans wants to see more action, tournament format can be a risk as fighters may be injured in earlier fights which hinders their progress for the next fight. This was what happens in Fight Fest 1 when Dean Hamsah vs Azrin Kadri in Amatuer MMA Super4, bothe fighters went all out, back & forth, the fight was epic! But the winner Dean was burned out and was not able to progress to final to challenge Effendy Kalai, so was Azrin.
On the other hand, tournament format will make fighters fight smarter, to avoid injury in the early round. In other words, tournament format will favour technical fighters. Yes those with effective and better techniques will be able to do well, as they can connect & gain points yet don't get burn out by going all out. Saving their energy for the finals!

Watch out for fighters such as Kyo Kaede, Mohd Hasbullah, Banetto Bain and Nur Sakinah for explosive fights

Kyo Kaede

Nur Sakinah

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Now let's get some infor on Fight fest 2 - Act of War from the founder himself , Johan Julian Lee

You titled it Act of War...what is the concept behind this theme?
The term "act of war" is usually a forecast of brutal action. Thus we hope FF2 mirrors this when the bell rings!

At FF1 you have 11 bouts , now at FF2 you will have 24 bouts! wow that's a huge jump! how were you able to achieve this?
The good support of the fighters and their coaches made this possible.

Why the exhibitions match? Why not put up actual fights? How different will an
exhibitions match be compare to actual match?
It is a real fight, "exhibition" only coz it is of amateur level & not a tourney format. 
These fights do carry records.

I believe FF is the 1st event having K1 rule fight in Sabah, how do you feel the
response from fighter and fight fans on this?
Yes it is. I think the responds have been great. Fans & coaches want to see their favorite fighters put in a different arena: can a boxer fight well in an environment where kicks and knees are allowed? Can a Muaythai champion do well if he isn't allowed his clinch & elbows? Can a Karate expert handle the conditioning of his opponent? These are just some examples that I'm sure makes kickboxing an interesting format for everyone.

Why do you choose the Super4 MMA at 56kg category this time?
Because I believe 56kg is a faster pace weight class, less likely to tire too soon & much more action packed.

Which bout do u personally think will be a blast?
I'm excited to see Fight Fest 1 super 4 champ Mardi take on Reyan Naga Kinabalu. Mardi has proven to be a great boxer & fits K1 well, while Reyan is actually a strong Muaythai champ that has beaten guys like Dean Hamsah twice in Muaythai. It would be interesting to watch this match.

Another bout would be Faizal "Boy Kicap" a famous Muaythai fighter with highflying kicks vs the Tawau boxer & also Muaythai fighter Zul "Corner Shot" (Alamgir Gym Tawau )

Fight Fest 2 opening bout by the ladies is also an interesting one with Nurul Atiqah vs Neera Nyr. For them this is a rubber match as each has beaten each other once in Muaythai, Neera won the last exchange. Neera also recently beat June in Fight Fest 1 who was undefeated in Muaythai. Does this mean kickboxing is a better format for Neera? We will find out.

Are you offering cash prizes this time?
Super 4 winners will win trophy, medal, certificate & cash prize.

Who are your sponsors? anything special for the fight fans?
Sponsors are Power Root & Citymall. Fight fans should keep an eye out at Power Root FB page for contest. Also there will be games hosted by Power Root & Sabah Top Team for the public.

The event I believe will combine with Muay Fight, tell me more?
As of now, Muayfight announced they have postponed their event in Sabah till the 18-20 Sept.

Does Citymall present a good venue for this events?

Citymall is great as it features all the shops near the fight. The crowd here is constant and thus I think makes best for the awareness of the sport.

This event will be free which is excellent for fight fans,...were you able to achieve this through support from your sponsors? or it's still very much your own effort to promote the event better?
The sponsor helped us a lot, hopefully more sponsors will come and support this event in the near future. That is why we decided to go public for free as it will get the awareness out.

I wish you all the best Julian for a successful Fight Fest 2
Thanks bro for your time.

SABAH OPEN BJJ & SUBMISSION GRAPPLING TOURNAMENT

History in the making this weekend of 22-23 Aug 2015. The 1st Sabah Open BJJ & Submission Grappling Tournament will be held at Likas Indoor Stadium, Kota Kinabalu Sabah.

Sabah Open BJJ ( Brazilian Jiu-JitSu ) is held as part of a bigger event - Sabah Fitness Festival,...which will feature their main event of  X45 Cross Fit Challenge.

Sabah Open BJJ is the brainchild of Allen Solomon Chong. He is the pioneer of BJJ in Borneo. Allen had a typical background in martial arts. In his school days, his dad teaches him TaeKwondo, he then progress to Karate. In Australia when pursuing his architectural degree in Deakin University, he had the opportunity to see BJJ up close. John Will, the veteran martial artist who introduce the Machado system of BJJ to Australia teaches in Geelong, where Allen's Uni is.
Allen was curious about BJJ. He had heard about it from watching UFC in the web. " What is this martial art that can submit people and make striker looks silly? " Once in it he was hooked!

Returning to his home in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Allen was eager to share his passion of BJJ with Sabahan. Forming BJJ Borneo club, he & his friends was training in the early days of 2008 in YMCA Damai. The popularity of UFC, Bellator, Pride sees a huge growth in MMA....and you can't do MMA without knowledge of grappling & submission, which BJJ is the top martial art in this category.

BJJ Borneo classes in the early days of 2008 at YMCA Damai

Allen's aspiration is that Sabah being the powerhouse of BJJ in Malaysia, and dream of seing BJJ being competed in SUKMA ( Sukan Malaysia ) one day. He doesn't just dream, he pursue it whole heartedly. Forming an association is the first step in making his dream a reality. But this certainly is not an easy step. But due to his passion for BJJ and the pin point focus on the dream he has, he went through the bureaucracy and red tape. Finally achieved this in the registeration of  "Persatuan BJJ Negeri Sabah" a few years back. It's the only BJJ association in Malaysia at the moment.

Functioning through a sports association allows BJJ to grow in Sabah with the help of Sabah state Ministry of Youth & Sports. The association immediately jump into action by organising Borneo Headhunters BJJ & Submission Challenge. Till 2014 it has run for 4 years and has been the platform to introduce BJJ, unearth new talent and grow the sports in this region. Allen and his team of committe has learn well from organising Borneo Headhunters.

Borneo Headhunters 2014

Hence this year, again with Allen's leadership, "Persatuan BJJ Negeri Sabah" took on a bigger challenge which is Sabah Open BJJ. To date 120 athletes has registered for the Gi & No Gi category making it the biggest BJJ competitions in Malaysia. Medal up for grabs are for 8 Men's weight category, 3 Women's weight, 3 kid's division and for the 1st time a Men's Masters (for 35 and above)

Allen's own team from Alpha MMA will be sending a strong team. Team's from around Sabah & the region such as Valor Martial Arts, Borneo Tribal Squad, Keningau MMA, Karabaw, Busiido Brunei. Participants from other country will also be here , such as from Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Scotland, Taiwan.

Alpha MMA

Alpha MMA

Borneo Tribal Squad

Busiido Brunei

Karabaw

Valor Martial Arts

Keningau MMA

Allen loves to teach. In his Alpha MMA, there's a Youth Development Program that focus on developing the kids and youth to be BJJ champion. Sponsoring them to various tournament around the region to learn & grow their skills. Alpha MMA also regularly bring in foreign coaches to conduct seminar in Sabah to benefit his students and the whole of the martial art community in Sabah.

MMA's popularity fuel the growth of BJJ as more & more martial artist wants to add to their striking with good ground skills. Allen is no stranger to MMA. He has fought in the big league. Being the 1st MIMMA Lightweight Champion in 2013,

MIMMA 2013 Lightweight Champion

Allen was the only South East Asian to be selected during the trial for The Ultimate Fighter China.
Representing Malaysia to IMMAF ( International Mixed Martial Arts Federation) World Championship 2014 and also fought in regional MMA Competition as a Pro in Ultimate Beatdown and MIMMA MMArr.

Allen is one of the Malaysian team member at IMMAF World Championship 2015

At The Ultimate Fighter China - 2013

In BJJ, Allen is continuosly on the journey of learning. Learning from the likes of BJJ elites such as Fernando Maccalero, Leke Machado, UFC fighter Brian Ebersole and Stuart Cooper and also actively competing in BJJ competitions such as Abu Dhabi World Trials, Bangkok Open, Pan Asians, and recently in Indonesian Badass Championship.
Allen is riding on the fitness craze that is currently hitting Sabah. Sabah Fitness Festival (SFF), succesfully organised last year, to Allen, is a great platform to bring BJJ to another level.

" Not everyone likes to be hit on the face, BJJ is the sports version of MMA, why not taking it up train to be fit and learn self defense skills at the same time."

Even though train to fight as an MMA fighter, deep down Allen is a martial artist, he loves BJJ. For the tradition, the discipline and the respect it instill in the practioner.

Working as a full time architect occupies Allen's day time. At night coaching his students at his ALPHA MMA. Leading the organisingn team for Sabah Open BJJ, at times doing intensive training as he prepares for his Pro fights,...responsibilities as a father to his daughter Lana...how he cope all this?  By having great support from his family. Allen felt blessed  that not only is his parents very supportive but he also has a wife that is passionate in martial art like him. Carol is his life partner, herself an accomplished TaeKwonDoist, she helps him in running the gym & also in organising Sabah Open BJJ.

with Carol and baby Lana

Sabah BJJ Open will see the participations of AESTHETIC as a sponsors and MILO as the official beverage sponsors

MILO will provide prizes and drinks to all participants

Catch Ann Osman, representing her team Borneo Tribal Squad - Malaysia's 1st female MMA Pro Fighter in action at Sabah Open BJJ

The home grown Sabahan martial arts superstar

The closing ceremony on Sunday 5pm will be grace by Sabah state Minister of Youth and Sports, Datuk Hj. Tawfiq and his deputy, YB Masiung Banah.

Come and support this great event, it's free!
You could be witnessing at some future ONE FC or UFC Champion in action here!!!



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