LABUAN: He may not be well known in the Muay Thai circle, but Jian Kai Chee emerged as champion in the Borneo Martial Arts Expo (BMAEX) Super 4, with a first-round knockout win over 20-year-old Muay Thai fighter, Chew Zhi Kong on Sunday night.
The Labuan international extreme sport event was held from Dec 28 to 30 at the Palm Beach Resort and Spa, with a total of 250 local and foreign participants.
Kai Chee, from Kuala Lumpur, had earlier knocked out Fikri Rozan from Kelab Labah Mas Baling in the 72kg category before meeting Zhi Kong in the International Sport Karate Association (Iska) kick boxing pro fight.
Former World Boxing Federation (WBF) Asia-Pacific light heavyweight champion, Hisyam Samsudin ‘Zephyrus’ was beaten by renowned Australian Muay Thai fighter Marco Tentori ‘The Machine Gun’ in the 75kg category.
Hisyam was once a championship fighter and holds a record of 2-4-0 in mixed martial arts, while Marco has beaten four former world title holders in non-title fights.
Philippines’ youngest pro MMA fighter who had won a title in Asia at 19, Fritz Biagtan defeated his opponent from the formidable Tim’s Muay Thai, Mardi Mansor@Acok under the 57kg category, in one minute 14 seconds in round one to clinch the Iska BMAEX title.
Fritz’s father, Raysaldo Biagtan, who is also his mentor, was however beaten by Randal Kadayum from Kinabalu Fighters in a stiff fight in the 60kg category.
Mike Sidis from Borneo Combat Gym, Labuan, clinched the Iska BMAEX title fight in the 85kg category after defeating Deanver R. Rapahel from Kinabalu Fighters.
The three-day event, sanctioned by International Sport Kick Boxing (Iska) Borneo, drew a large crowd. It was jointly organised by Labuan Sport Kickboxing Association (LSKA), Labuan Wushu Association and Borneo Combat Gym.
The event also featured a fighter with disabilities, Hafiy Mutalip (018 MMA), from Brunei, who won in round one over Aremiah Edmund from Borneo Combat Gym, Labuan.
The BMAEX Southeast Asia will for the first time be held in August 2019 in Kuala Lumpur and the 3rd Series BMAEX in December 2019. – Bernama
