ONE : UNBREAKABLE WARRIORS - The Malaysian Odyssey

The mood of Merdeka or Independence day will still in the air on 2 Sept 2016 when ONE Championship : Unbreakable Warriors held at Stadium Negara Kuala Lumpur goes down. It will feature 8 Malaysians fighting that night out of the 10 bouts.

Let’s see what's instore for Malaysian fighters on Friday night.

Sabahan Hisyam 'Zephyrus" Sams from Borneo Tribal Squad will debut together with compatriot Mohd Aiman from Negeri Sembilan. But they won’t be meeting as friends in the cage tomorrow night as both will face each other in a battle of Malaysian debutant.

Hisyam has 2 pro fights under him from Full Metal Dojo, his record at 1-1-0. Losing the last fight to Thai Veerayut Uttapan at FMD7, after a tough 3 round fight. Striking wise, Hisyam has good boxing, becoming the World Boxing Federation (WBF) Asia Pacific light heavyweight Champion at Singapore Fighting Championship 2 in Feb 2016. He will also rely on his experience from fighting muaythai & from winning two fights at ONE Silat will also be an important factor facing Aiman.

A character that can clearly define Muhd Aiman certainly is a warrior’s heart. This young lad from Negeri Sembilan was the finalist for MIMMA in 2013 at Bantamweight, losing to Prabu Somanaidu. Following year In 2014, MIMMA season two, fought through the ranks and again reached the finals but he didn’t made weight. Season 3 came & he started from scratch all over again participating in the try outs and eventually reached the finals and this time emerge victorious against Hafizul Hakim of Sabah.

Aiman has been training at Bali Muay Thai & MMA with his close friends the Subba brothers. In April this year he turned pro & fought in China at Kunlun Fight 41, losing to Korean Sung Bing Jo. He will be eager to get a win in his ONE debut. Aiman also has boxing experience and certainly has gained much improvement in striking & grappling from his training in Bali MMA.

Hisyam said that facing Aiman, he is ready to go ground or stand and strike. He firmly believes his coach AJ Pyro’s game plan for him will work. Hisyam is proud to represent Sabah’s BTS for this fight and he felt that fighting in ONE is a dream come true but he felt that the attention will be on Aiman and he is comfortable being the underdog.

Malaysian best known MMA siblings the Subba brothers will be in action together on the same night this Friday.

Gianni Subba the older siblings is also one of Malaysia’s best MMA talent. At 24 he is already considered a veteran in ONE. First appeared for ONE way back in 2012 for ONE FC’s 6th show. He has fought 8 times since then. Gianni is coming out of a lost to Philipino Geje Eustaciao in April 2016. Before that he chalked up 4 straight wins. He is keen to get back to winning ways to start to stamp his presence in flyweight and determine to put up an impressive win vs Brazilian Yago Bryan.

Yago represent Nova Uniao of Brazil. Famed as the gym that produce former UFC featherweight champion - Jose Aldo and former UFC bantamweight champion - Renan Barao. Yago’s MMA fight experiences are mostly gained from his fighting days in Brazil since 2014. His 1st fight at ONE is at ONE: Pride of Lions in Nov 2015 where he challenged Dejdamrong for the Straw weight belt but lost in an unanimous decision.

Gianni’s younger brother Keannu Subba is also trying to get back to winning ways after his last lost at Hefei China to Chinese flamboyant rising star Li Kai Wen. Keannu despite an elbow that was not fully recovered put up a great fight in 3 round but lost by unanimous decision. Before turning pro, Keannu achieved the pinnacle of Malaysian amateur MMA by winning the MIMMA featherweight belt twice in 2013 & 2014.

His opponent is Pakistani Wakaq Umar. Wakaq does not have a nice record in ONE. Losing 3 times before going back to his home land to fight at PAKMMA early this year and got a win by choke in the first round.

Another prodigy from MIMMA is Agilan ‘The Alligator’ Thani. Agilan tore through his opponents in MIMMA2 and became the welterweight champion. Trained under Samir Mrabet at Monarchy Gym, Agilan originally wanted to lose weight but got so skillfull he decides to fight as a living. Turned pro at ONE FC 25, Agilan is on a roll…with an impressive 4 wins in a row, all by finish. Especially his last fight where he dominate and TKO American Brad Robinson with punches in round 1

Trestle Tan of Philipines has stepped up to face The Alligator. Tan five losses all came by TKO / choke, holding a 4-5-0 record. But Agilan cannot take him lightly and treat him like an easy meat as all Tan’s 4 win also came by TKO / Choke.

Malaysian MMA superstar, Peter Davis make a return to the oval cage this Friday night. Peter’s was a financial consultant that dabbled into acting, modeling and coaching before committing to a fighting career. Malaysia’s MMA growth can be partly attributed to Peter as ONE Championship & MIMMA use his marketable face & personality to promote MMA to the Malaysian public, and these worked effectively as we now see the high awareness of MMA among the Malaysians general public and the many young prospect that took up MMA inspired by him.

Peter’s ground skill is top notch and he never gives up in a fight even though starting off being dominated. But his last fight at Kuala Lumpur in October 2015 did not end well. Facing Australian Adrian Pang who fought with a rigid stance that seems immovable, Peter suffered a devastating KO from Adrian’s punches. But Peter took the loss in his stride & uses it to motivate himself back to fighting fit.

At 5-1-0, Peter’s opponent, Shannon "One Shin" Wiratchai is on a 3 fight winning streak. Last fought in his home land Thailand in May 2016, he impressively TKO Burmese Kyal Ling Aung. If Peter is the poster boy of Malaysian MMA, Shannon could be the Thai version. Having a penchant for showmanship, Shannon will try to win the fans heart while trying to break the heart of Malaysian at the same night. Will he succeed? Only Peter Davis can prevent him from doing so.

We move on to the ladies…. Yes the darling of Malaysian female MMA Ann "Athena" Osman is back. After the crushing KO to Wushu champion Irina Mazepa in the same night as Peter’s lost, Ann has gone back to the drawing board to polish up her skills. It seems like ONE keep giving her Wushu based opponent. Ann returned to the cage in ONE : Dynasty of Champions in Hefei China in July 2016. Her opponent was Egyptian Haiat Farag, a wrestler and also a Wushu champion. Ann weathered the storm of throws and punches that connected in the early minutes. Never one that gives up, her fighting spirit went on warrior mode as she look for an opening for her move, it came close to the end of minute 3 of round 1, she manage to grab Haiat’s extended arm and bellied down with a reverse arm-bar, Ann took the win by submmission. Ann described Haiat as a real aggressive opponent but she reminded herself to stay calm and she manage to overcome the adversity to take the win. She attribute this all to her long time mentor and coach at Borneo Tribal Squad - AJ Pyro, training her not only on her physical prowess but also on mental toughness.

Ann will need all these as she will be facing another Wushu stalwart. Her opponent is a young 22 year April Osenio. April has fought only twice (1-1-0). Her win was over Australian Natalie Hills, in April 2016. Even though only having 2 MMA fight experience but coming from Team Lakay put her on solid foundation.

Team Lakay was founded in 2003 by MMA fighter by Wushu instructor, and Philippine Military Academy martial arts trainer Marquez Sangiao. Under Sangiao’s charge, Team Lakay’s fighters have grown into dominant warriors who are well versed in striking, wrestling, and submissions. And thanks to their high-altitude training in Baguio City, their fighters seem to be always on full gas tank. Notable MMA names from Team Lakay are Edward Folayang, Kevin Belingon & Honario Banario.



We now come to the main event of the night. Ev 'E.T.' Ting vs Ruthless Rob Lisita. His last fight was in Jan 2016, submitting Eric Kelly with a choke. Since then he has kept himself busy by coaching MMA and running sessions for the fight team at Saigon Sports Club at the same time training along many fighters who pop through the gym.

Ev lives and trains out of Auckland, New Zealand, and has amassed a stellar 11-3 record so far in his professional career. A winner of his last two bouts by impressive submission over top caliber opponents, Ting is one of the most talented fighters to come out of Malaysia.

33-year-old “Ruthless” Rob Lisita of Campbelltown, Australia, is known as a relentless offensive force, armed with powerful striking combinations intended to score highlight-reel finishes. But of late Lisita is on a 3 fight losing streak by choke / TKO. He is veteran fighter who has faced the best in his division and beyond.

Warriors of Borneo asked Ev on how is his preparation for this fight,…
” I spent first 4-5 weeks at Saigon Sports Club but will be acclimatizing and peaking last 3 weeks here in KL with my Malaysian team mates from Bali MMA, Monarchy and Klinch. My coach will arrive from Auckland to help me with my final details to peak for fight night”

On how this fight came about and how Rob has been calling him out.
“Rob Lisita was not a fight I was looking for as I always want to move up in ranks, yes he has been calling me out and this is what ONE insisted without another option. Rob is not an easy opponent for anybody and I am training for the best version of Rob Lisita”

Would you be asking for a featherweight title fight after a win over Rob?
"Yes I want my due title shot; I will have 6 wins and 6 finishes after this fight and being undefeated in KL. However if I really need to still keep proving myself then I will not decline"

Rob is a heavy striker...but his last fight was caught by Timofey early...wud u employ same tactics....start striking early?
"Robs last fight was much too short to study or find any patterns. Rob presents some threats however I am confident I have the right gameplan to get the W over Rob"

What have u been doing besides training ?...what’s the thing that get your mind off training?..Any other hobbies or interest you indulge in?
"Recently being away from home where I indulge in all kinds of nature and apart from delicious food, I have been exploring the world of TV entertainment catching up with the latest movies and TV series such as Kingdom. However people often say I need more hobbies : P " 

catching up on his favourite TV series

Warriors of Borneo wishes all Malaysian a great Merdeka week, and wishing all the Malaysian fighters the best of luck, Fight hard, Fight smart, Fight with all your heart!
Selamat Hari Merdeka Malaysia!

The Heat is On - MIMMA4

2016 is the year of Fire Monkey. It’s certainly scorching lately. With El Nino is in full effect, the weather in Sabah is so hot & dry. The local political scene is experiencing a fiery time. But there’s a welcoming heat that will burn the passion of all martial artist out there. The heat from MIMMA4 ( Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts ). Fire…aptly chosen as the theme this year is exactly what it intend to do, into the 4th season, MIMMA4 continue to blaze the path as the best amateur MMA tournament in Asia if not the world.

This weekend of 5-6 MAC, happening at 1 Borneo Hypermall, Kota Kinabalu is the 2nd leg of the tryouts, after last weekend where it began at Penang.

The venue; 1 Borneo Hypermall is ready to receive fighters

The spark ignited in 2013, as a platform to nurture and grow local Malaysian talents from the MMA scene, by preparing a tournament for amateurs to contend and put their highly honed skills and countless hours of dedicated training to the test. During its first season, MIMMA has managed to become the central entity for all MMA hopefuls, opening the eyes of the public about the limitless potential of the sport. Records were broken and benchmarks were forged in its second season, and in its third season history was made when MIMMA introduced two new categories ( Foreign Pride and Women MMA ) to further enhance the development of the sport in the country, sealing its stature as the gold standard of amateur MMA in the world today. 2016 will see a continuation of hard work put into improving MIMMA as a proper platform for amateur MMA hopefuls to start their journey as well as injecting new innovation to ensure the local MMA scene stays vibrant and ever-expanding.

Tune Talk is the driving force behind MIMMA. Being one of the youngest but most innovative telco in Malaysia, it extends its innovative way of doing things to MIMMA4 , where MIMMA4 will be shifting most of its operations online, fully utilizing its presence, beginning with a fully digital registration process for all amateur MMA hopefuls in order to ease the flow during the day of the tryouts.

Go online to register yourself as a fighter

At the launch of MIMMA4 in Jan 2016, with Borneo Champion in the middle, Jace Law-Lightweight Champ 2015 & Joanna Yap Female Champ 2015 from Sarawak ( photo credit -YK Tang )

Jason Lo, CEO of Tune Talk stated, “Initially, we wanted to adopt a sport with which we could truly associate with and we felt that MMA was it for us. It is a sport that demands discipline, dedication and passion. This aligns with Tune Talk as we are also fighters in our own right, going up against the big telcos in Malaysia. Early on, we created this great relationship with ONE Championship to ensure MMA became well known in Malaysia, but that’s not enough for us because there is a lot of MMA potential here. With the guidance of ONE Championship, we created the Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts.”

“It is 2016 and we now have 2 MIMMA Champions fighting and making a huge impact in ONE Championship. This is just the start as we expect more champions to make the transition into fighting professionally soon. Tune Talk is now the frontrunner in both the amateur and professional MMA scene in Malaysia and this will continue as it will take the Malaysian MMA scene to the next level, ensuring our goal of making Malaysia the MMA hub of the region completely materialize in the near future,” he added.

For those new to MIMMA, the tryouts is a selection process for MMA fighters to qualify for MIMMA Tournament. Fighters will be judge on 3 stage, striking, ground game and sparring, where fighters need to show how they put together skills at striking and grappling to convince the judges that they possesses not just the techniques but also the heart and motivation to fight. Selected fighters will go through the ladder match, quarter finals, semis and the contender fights at Paradigm Mall, Petaling Jaya. The grand finals usually are held in a indoor stadium sometime in Oct.

Striking ( photo credit-YK Tang )

Grappling

Put it all together now...

Sabah, as part of Borneo, the headhunters land has always been a succesful hunting grounds for MMA talents. In the 1st season itself, Sabahan such as Allen Solomon Chong and Adrian Tham became the inaugural MIMMA Lightweight and Heavyweight champion respectively. Sabah also is home to reknown MMA athlete such as Rayner Kinsiong, AJ Pyro and Ann Osman, whom all fought as pro in ONE Championship. In season 3 we saw, Sabahan Darren Low defending his Heavyweight belt and 3 Sabahn as grand finalist in Hafizul Hakeem, Felicia Yunus & Effendy Kalai.

Next weekend 12-13 MAC, will see a few martial arts tournament happening. The prestigious Piala TYT Sarawak for Muaythai will be held at Bintulu and Fight Fest : Mata Leao Submission Tournament at Kota Kinabalu. Perhaps this may affect the numbers of fighters coming for the tryouts. As the local fight scene grows this is inevitable. Nevertheless athletes that's interested to make a name for themselves in MMA, can still go for tryouts at other states.

in case you miss out KK Tryouts, these are the dates for other venue

Major gym such as Team Karabaw, lead by head coach Rayner Kinsiong will invade 1 Borneo with at least 40 fighters for the tryouts. Hafizul will return again this year. Will he be able to use the experience from 2015 to secure a belt this year? Experience fighters such as Douglas Gumbilai ( MIMMA3 Semifinalist), Kent Tham ( JFL Heavyweight Champion 2015 ), Masko Franklin ( JFL Middleweight Champion 2015 ) and Erexy Emmenuel will also have another go this year.

Team Karabaw, receiving a visit from Datuk Jahid Jahim last week to show support at their Tamparuli branch

Alpha MMA, founded by Allen Solomon Chong, where Felicia Yunus trains at,  this year will send 4 to 5 fighters, but Felicia will be taking a break from MMA and concentrate on BJJ this year, but watch out for Liew Ming Lun, a product of Persatuan BJJ Negeri Sabah's youth program, Liew is a BJJ prodigy and has been working hard on adding striking to his arsenal. Liew just turn 18 and is very determined to achieve glory in MMA.

Liew Ming Lun...dream of being in the UFC one day.

Meanwhile from the gym that produces Malaysian 1st female pro MMA fighter-Ann Osman, Borneo Tribal Squad, will see 4-5 fighters participating.

Borneo Tribal Squad

Sabah Top Team lead by Italian pro fighter Antonio Battistessa, whom is a regular in MIMMA as one of the officials will be sending 10 fighters.

Sabah Top Team

Meanwhile from Keningau, KMMA, will send 4 fighters. One of them being the Jesselton Fight League (JFL )Bantamweight Champion – Hasbullah Sanmin. The ferocious fighter has develop well ever since his lost in ladder match in season 3 due to inexperience in grappling. He has improve by heaps in his ground game through the tutelage of his coach Mohd Bakri and will be the one to watch for this season.

with Md Hasbullah when he emerge as JFL Bantamweight Champion in 2015

With the help of MIMMA, MMA has become more popular and as more fights gym opens, more fighters are born. Gyms are also bringing in experience foreign coaches to enhance the skills of locals and to elevate local MMA standard.

The early seasons may see many fighters are basically either striking or grappling dominant, be prepared to see this 4th season where fights will be more technical and where fighters are more well rounded in all aspect of martial arts. Many who come will be experienced fighters as some would have participated in the many local tournaments that was held througout the year.

Fighters that presevere and do not give up will eventually reap the reward, just look at what Muhammad Aiman has achieved. He was the finalist in Season 1. Reached the Grand Finals in Season 2, but had to withdraw as he miss weight. In Season 3, he started all over again and eventually emerge as MIMMA3 Featherweignt Champion!

( photo credit-YK Tang )

Another good example is Jace Law from Sarawak. Not satisfied of reaching the semi finals in Season 2, last year Jace came back with a vengeance to dominate the Lightweight division with his signature JKO finishes and become the MIMMA 3 Lightweight Champion.

On branding sides,  making a first time appearance at MIMMA will be VENUM and AMNIG. Venum debut as the official apparel sponsors and AMNIG as the official apparel sponsors. Potosan Corner as the sole distributor of VENUM will set up stall to sell their products.

Bring on the HEAT!

wanna look dapper like these MIMMA referees.....

...get your AMNIG apparel at MIMMA Tryout- KK

wanna fight like a champion in the cage....( photo credit-YK Tang ).

...get your VENUM fight gear from POTOSAN CORNER

...but if you just wanna look cool like Matt Pellino.... ( photo credit-YK Tang )

...then come on down to 1 Borneo at MIMMA4 Tryouts for some awesome MIMMA4 merchandise

Much thanks to all the sponsor, as without them we fight fans will be deprive of MMA action