KUALA LUMPUR: Fighters from Sarawak’s Tempur Jarak Dekat (TJD) Club delivered an impressive performance at the RAGE Season 2 Grand Prix, securing four victories out of seven bouts in an intense Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competition held at The Cage Lalaport recently.
The event, featuring three-round bouts lasting three minutes each, saw TJD fighters demonstrate their skill and determination against strong opposition.
The Sarawak-based club sent a team of seven competitors, with four emerging victorious.
One of the winners, Ahmad Khafi, 27, attributed their success to an intense eight-week fight camp focused on conditioning, skill development, and strategic preparation.
“Alhamdulillah, we pushed through, made it to fight night, and gave our best performance,” he said.
Another TJD fighter, Syahmi Fakhri, 24, highlighted the team’s grappling prowess, noting that three of their victories came by armbar submission and one by rear-naked choke.
“The recent wins reflect the increasing standard of grappling in Sarawak’s MMA scene.
“Events like RAGE MMA help elevate the sport’s presence and encourage more participation from local fighters,” he said.
Event organiser Daniel Chee, 30, who has been involved in MMA event management for seven years, stressed the importance of expanding the sport’s reach within Malaysia.
“When I first started, I realised that MMA was underrepresented in Malaysia, and I wanted to change that,” he said.
He also revealed plans to bring a similar MMA event to Sarawak within the year to provide more opportunities for local fighters to showcase their talent.
“Our goal is to see Malaysian fighters compete at higher levels, including One Championship and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC),” he added.
