JIHIN “Shadow Cat” Radzuan is revisiting her ONE Championship debut match as a source of inspiration ahead of her atomweight clash against Jomary “The Zamboanginian Fighter” Torres.
It remains her sole victory by way of finish at The Home of Martial Arts, something she hopes to improve at ONE: Masters of Destiny in Kuala Lumpur’s Axiata Arena on 12 July.
“I’m pretty well-equipped going into this match against Jomary, and I know there’s something extra I need to do to get a win through submission or knockout,” the Johor Baru native uttered.
“I’ve worked hard, and I believe I can finish Jomary off in the Axiata Arena. It could be a knockout or a submission. I’m confident in my abilities.”
The Ultimate MMA Academy standout captured the hearts of Malaysians when she made her debut against Tomar in March last year.
Despite her lack of experience in the professional circuit, Jihin displayed a collected performance against the multiple-time Indian National Wushu Champion. She outstruck her adversary before pulling off a sweet triangle choke to bring an end to the contest at 2:23 of the second round.
Two more victories followed against world-class opposition Jenny Huang and Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol. But the bright talent knows that a resume filled with decision wins will not satisfy her.
“I don’t want to come out as another boring athlete, and I want to show the Malaysian fans why I’m one of the most exciting martial artists in ONE,” the 20-year-old athlete said with confidence.
“It’s been a long but rewarding training camp. I’ve sharpened my striking and worked hard on the mats too. There have been days where I feel so tired, but I know I cannot quit.”
Torres is yet to win since January 2018 and will be hungry to score a huge upset in Kuala Lumpur.
An athlete fuelled with motivation and hunger could generate a surprising performance. And with that in mind, Jihin knows she has to always be on the lookout against her Catalan Fighting System adversary.
“My head coach Melvin Yeoh told me that I can defeat Torres, but we’re not going to underestimate what she can bring in the fight.”
