ON Jan 10, 24 athletes will compete on ONE: A NEW TOMORROW in Bangkok, Thailand – but the martial artist with the biggest challenge on the promotion’s first show in 2020 is Malaysia’s Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud.
The exciting young talent from Sampuri Muay Thai faces United Kingdom’s Liam “Hitman” Harrison in a three-round ONE Super Series bantamweight Muay Thai duel.
Despite the odds stacked against him, Mohammed offers his thoughts on the bout, which could be a career-defining moment for him.
“I think we could put on a real show for the fans. For myself especially, I’ve made a promise that I want to put in a good performance for my supporters from Malaysia,” the 23-year-old said.
“I’ve been waiting for my moment to return to the ONE Championship ring, and I believe this is the best bout to get me going.”
Mohammed is always keen to tackle challenges other martial artists might not think about undertaking. This attitude steered him past every challenge he faced as a newcomer, and he hopes this approach continues to push him to greater heights.
But, the Kuala Lumpur-based striker had a different reaction when the offer to face Harrison arrived on his doorstep.
“I received this offer a week before the Southeast Asian Games, and I thought real hard about it before penning the deal,” the Kedah native said.
“This guy is a Muay Thai legend. Even some of the techniques I execute are based on his videos on Facebook and Instagram. So, I had to ask myself how I would fair against a legend like him.”
The doubt did not linger in his mind for long, and after discussing it with his brother, father, and coaches, Mohammed inked the deal.
Since then, he has trained with fervour, and he hopes it will show at ONE: A NEW TOMORROW next month.
“Training has been good, but I cannot train with the same mindset I had when I prepared for my past bouts,” the striking specialist said.
“I’m looking forward to this challenge with real excitement. It might have scared me for a bit, but I’ve got no fear to take on Liam in Bangkok in January.”
“I’m ready.”
ONE Championship starts 2020 of with ONE: A NEW TOMORROW in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, Jan 10.
Catch Mohammed in action live and for free on the ONE Super App.
