KUCHING: The fearsome fighting spirit of the Sarawakian warrior is set to command the spotlight at Stadium Negara this Saturday (Oct 25) as Stephen Onn Jenggieng faces off against incumbent Chong Jing Yi for the MIMMA (Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts) middleweight title in the MIMMA 2 Grand Finals.
Stephen (right) lands a hard body shot during one of the MIMMA 2 contender fights.
Stephen Onn Jenggieng is determined to dethrone Johor’s Chong Jing Yi for the MIMMA middleweight title this Saturday.
A win against the Johorean will mean much more to the Balingian, Mukah born mixed-martial artist than just the title belt and RM5,000 prize money.
He is determined to go all out to prove his critics wrong and send a strong message to those who are chasing their dreams of a life that may not fit into society’s conventions.
“I want to show people you can be who you want to be as long as you don’t give up. As long as you have the will, it is possible,” said the 25-year-old when met yesterday.
He speaks from heartfelt experience. As a child, he was bullied in school for being overweight. At his heaviest when he was at university, he weighed 120kg. About two years ago, he finally had enough of the teases and taunts – enough to do something about it.
Having harboured dreams of becoming a mixed-martial artist since childhood, he dabbled in a number of martial arts until he discovered muay thai.
His passion for fitness and martial arts grew so strong that he decided to take the risk and make it his career.
Now tipping the scales at a trim 83kg, the muay thai instructor and personal fitness trainer spends at least four hours a day on strength and conditioning while honing his skills in a wide range of fighting disciplines, including muay thai, wrestling, boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, under the watchful eyes of his coaches and trainers.
Coincidentally, one his coaches Lenny “The Show Stealer” Wheeler (6-3-0-1, The Gym Box/Phuket Top Team) will also be featured at the MIMMA 2 Grand Finals in a pro fight against Italy’s Massimo Capusella (2-3-0, Dragon Muay Thai)
Thanks to his iron-willed determination, Stephen is a rising star in the Malaysian amateur mixed-martial art (MMA) scene, holding a record of 3-0-0.
Representing The Gym Box, Kuching, Stephen left a strong impression on judges and fans during the first ever MIMMA tryouts in Kuching in May this year.
He announced his MMA debut in emphatic fashion, taking down his opponent with a supplex and unleashing a barrage of strikes, giving the latter no choice but to throw in the towel well before the 3-minute round was up.
Stephen carried his impressive form to the MIMMA 2 ladder fights all the way to the contender finals where he faced fellow Sarawakian Nicholas Jeffery (Studio 23/American Top Team Borneo).
His win by TKO in the second round earned him the right to face Chong (4-1-0), who fights out of Ultimate MMA Academy.
Stephen will be the sole Sarawakian, and one of three East Malaysians, fighting on the card of seven amateur and four professional fights, which will see Mark Striegl (12-1-0, Fight Corps MMA/Borneo Tribal Squad), vs Kaiwhare Kara-France (7-4-0, Tiger Muay Thai/Strike Force Auckland) and Will Chope (20-7-0, Juggernaut Fight Club/MuayFit) vs Matt Pellino (pro-debut, K-One Kickboxing/Doberman BJJ) co-headlining the event.
The remaining pro fight will see female flyweight Rachael Short (Leverage Combat Academy/TNT Kickboxing) making her pro debut against Malaysian Zhen “Iron Rose” Wei (0-1-0, MuayFit).
MIMMA powered by Tune Talk, aspires to be the biggest amateur MMA competition in Asia and has been an influential force in raising the profile and development of Malaysian MMA.
The MIMMA 2 grand finals will be streamed free and live at mimmalive.tunetalk.com as well as broadcast over AXN.