BMAEX 2023 (Borneo Martial Arts Expo) will happen in Palm Beach Resort Labuan 15-17 DEC 2023.
The expo promises to be a melting pot of martial arts disciplines, with practitioners from a myriad of styles gathering under one roof. Traditional martial arts like Wushu, Silat, Kung Fu, Muaythai, and Taekwondo will share the stage with modern combat sports such as Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, and kickboxing. This diverse representation of martial arts showcases the rich heritage and evolution of combat techniques across Malaysia & the region.
One of the highly anticipated parts of BMAEX is the Super-fight. This year’s bout promise to be action packed as organizers has match-make fighters with great experience & new comers that are full of fighting spirit.
These fighters have spent countless hours honing their skills, pushing their limits, and competing throughout 2023 to gain fight experience. Now, they stand ready to demonstrate their expertise in front of an audience that appreciates their dedication and passion.
The hi-light will be the Super-Fight. This year 6 bouts of different martial arts discipline will be competed and fighters from the interior of Sabah, the small town of Keningau is making a stand as they are sending 4 of their top fighters to BMAEX 2023.
Lets get to know the fighters.
ZEFFENZIE vs MATTHEWS
Zeffenzie Hezron Douni , this year age 21 and come from the interior town of Sabah – Keningau
Using the fight name Zeff, he is train by coach Mohd Bakryat Keningau MMA.He started training there at 16 years old as he got inspired by his elder brother Zachenzie whom took him there.
Ever since then Zeff has fall in love with combat sports and compete in various style in his aim to become a complete fighter. His current fight record , Kickboxing: 1-1 (Amateur) , 0-1 (SemiPro), Boxing: 1-0 (Amateur), Muaythai: 5 -2 (Amateur), 1-0 (Pro), MMA: 0-1 (Amateur)
Just in last month, November he took his first pro rules fight in Muaythai, appearing in 3rd Rentap Fighting Championship defeating Huzaifah in his home ground in Kuching, Sarawak.
Last year in November he fought I the finals of FightFest Semi-Pro Super 4. Then a month later in December, Zeff took gold in Sabah Muaythai Challenge. He is looking to repeat this success in this year’s BMAEX.
He works as an assistant in a school canteen and loves to eat fried chicken after a hard session of training at Keningau MMA. When he is not training in the gym, he will go to the badminton court for a game or two or join his friends in a game of futsal
He dream of becoming a professional fighter in the near future and to be able to support his family with his career as a fighter. This young fighter loves to fight and his simple message to Mathews,
“ Let’s enjoy the fight and goodluck!”
Matthews Hii Zhen Cheng is 18 years old. Born & grew up in Miri, Sarawak.
Trains at D-30 Muaythai, coach by the Late Master Tang Hui Ding, whom pass away August this year ( a special award recipient of BMAEX 2022 award for his great contribution, training young children & guiding them to become great athletes & good citizen.
Matthew is the young sibling to Morris Hii & Maurien Hii, whom both are seniors in the team. Both accomplished combat sports athletes that has won many championships.
Matthews started with Muaythai when he was 12 years old and also has learn the Sanda style of fighting since last year.
His message to Zeffenzie :
“ I will try my best in this competition, I hope you will too !”
MARUL vs SHADZUAN
Kamarul Asiran (Marul) is born in the millennium year of 2000 in Labuan.
At age 23, he trains regularly at BCG Academy Labuan. His uses Marul Mendez as his fight name & holds a fight record of 9-4. He was BMAEX semi-pro Sanda 56kg champion last year.
This young fighter is active in marathon, training in running improves his stamina. Also to build strength he also trains in rugby. He is also an avid diver. He said diving enable him to explore the beauty of marine life and when he is underwater the calmness gives him relaxation after all the hard martial arts training.
“ I’m ready for my showdown vs Shadzuan. I’m gonna win this fight for my mom birthday…which falls on 16 DEC 2023 “
Muhammad Shadzuan Bin Jamri is 24 years old.
Born in the interior of the state of Sabah in the town of Keningau. He trains at Garagas Fight Team of Keningau under the tutelage of Mohd Hasbullah ( whom is the undefeated MMA champion of Sabah, also the two time Champion of BMAEX Kickboxing ISKA title )
Shadzuan fight name is Dragon Boy & has a current fight record of 12-0-0
Coach Hasbullah trains Shadzuan in a strict way & with that, Dragon boy has accomplished many good results. Gold Medalist Sabah Open Muaythai 2018, Gold Medalist Muay SAGA 2019, Gold Medalist Sabah Muaythai Championship 2020, Gold Medalist Sabah Muaythai Expo 2023
Dragon Boy also help Hasbullah as assistant instructor training the other students. He is eager to close 2023 with another victory. His message to Marul,
“ Give me all your attacks so I can learn to be stronger.”
JACK vs ERICCORY
Jack Phoon Yan Jie, 22 this year is from Kota Kinabalu.
Trains at Sabah Top Team under coach Antonio Battistessa.
Jack at this young age already building himself a career as a property agent. He loves reading books on financial topics.
During training in Sabah Top Team love to put on dynamic types of music to get his adrenaline pumping.
Using the fight name Jack, his fight record is 3-0-0. Some of his pass achievement, Silver medalist in SUKMA (Sanda) 2022, Gold medalist in Mayor Cup Boxing 2023, bronze medalist in Malaysia Cup Boxing 2023. He plans to trains more in grappling so that he can compete in MMA in the future.
He message to his opponent:
“Good luck ,.. Don’t disappoint me. “
Another fighter from Keningau is Ericcory Lovejoy Akisin . 29 years old this year is one of the senior member of Keningau MMA (KMMA)
This experience fighter train by one of the top instructor in Sabah, Mohd Bakry, holds a record of MMA(6-2), Muaythai (1-1), Kickboxing (2-3).
In 2029, Eric took part in 1st Euro Asia Kyokushinryu tournament. It was a brutal competition and took a commendable 3rd place. Last year he embarked on a special program in Philipine, together with his team mate Zach. The program was – Uchideshi Program. 6 months of hard training in the art of Kyokushin Karate.
From the program, Eric’s skills improve and in 2022 ONE Kyokushinryu tournament, successfully took Gold home to Keningau.
When he is not training in the KMMA gym, he will find time to relax in playing digital games & going camping.
His message to Jack.
“ Let us both enjoy the fight and good luck for both of us…osu!”
Co-Main event: ZACHENZIE vs CHEW
Zachenzie Zifyon Douni is elder brother of Zeffenzie. Age 23 and from Keningau
He is one of the senior member KENINGAU MMA, under coach Mohd Bakry.
He is fondly call Zach. He uses the nick name ‘Godoot’ ( which means a person whom has a huge appetite in Dusun language ), as he was 100kg at his heaviest when he was in high school.
Started training in Taekwondo but was discourage when his then coach put him down due to his weight. But when he was 16, discovered Keningau MMA & coach Mohd Bakry sees the potential in him & guide him to achieve many success.
Zach holds a record of Kickboxing: 2-2. (Amateur), Boxing: 4-1 (Amateur), Muaythai: 6-0 (Amateur), MMA: 3-0 (Amateur), Kyokushin: 2-1
Most notable was his achievement in One Kyokushin Event, Kickboxing Gold Medalist
UGB MMA, Kyokushin Extreme Gold Medalist, 4th Ranked World Kyokushin Tournament 2023
At a fit weight of 85kg now, he still carry the fight name ‘Godoot’, to remind him on where he was before. To keep himself humble and he because he still loves to eat.
Last year at the encouragement of his Kyokushin master, Sensei Rayner & Sensei Danny, Zach & his team mate Ericorry joined the Uchideshi Program. A program base in Cavaliers Village, Antipolo in Philippines. Uchideshi means “A Living Student” in Japanese and it’s a program of training in the hard style of Kyokushin, staying in the village for a few months.
Zach & Eric were the 1st Malaysian in the program. They live, train & also work there for 6 months together with other students from around the world. Train daily in hard sparring, work in manual labour type of jobs to keep them strong and also participate in tournament. At the end of the program both of them were awarded Nidan rank.
Now both of them is instructor for Kyokushinryu, spreading the art to others in Sabah. Zach hopes he more people will learn about Kyokushinryu and hope to unearth more local talents that can represent the state of Sabah & Malaysia one day.
Zach’s message to his opponent:
“Hello brother Chew, hoping both of us in a very good condition. Let’s give them crowd a moment to be remembered for this co-main event. OSU!!”
Chew Zhi Kong. Age 25 from Miri Sarawak. Trains at D30 Fight Gym
His fight name is Mighty Samson with current fight record : 5-2-3
After that, more success follows…
2017
- Rampage Fighting Championship 1.0 amateur MMA 85kg Champion (MMA debut)
- Bintulu Muaythai Championship 85kg amateur bout winner (Muaythai debut)
- BMAEX 1.0 80kg tournament winner (K1 debut)
- SUKSAR selection Muay Thai 75+kg tournament winner
2018
- Putatan Muaythai Championahip 75+kg tournament Champion
- BMAEX 2.0 Super-4 pro title belt 1st runner up
2019
- Papar Muaythai Championahip 75kg+ bronze medalist
- Karamunsing Championship amateur 75kg K-1 tournament Champion
- SFC K-1 Pro super fight bout Champion
- BMAEX 3.0 pro title belt 75kg 1st runner up
2022
- Bintulu Muaythai Championship 80kg amateur bout Champion
2023
- Bintulu Muaythai Championship pro 85kg Super fight 1st runner up
Aside from competing Chew also took on courses to become a certified instructor. He is a certified ISKA K1 & Muay Thai coaching Level 1, PMM Referee Class D, and PMM Muay Thai personal trainer Level 1.
His message to his opponent:
“I promised to put on a good show. Thank you for the organizer for giving me this opportunity to prove myself. Let’s go Zach, let’s put on the show.”
Main event: MAURIEN vs GLORIA
Maurien Hii Sie Lin, age 20 from Miri,Sarawak
She is one of D-30 Fight Club senior member train by the late Sifu Tang Hui Ding
She started training under Sifu Tang as her parents was busy with business & work. He & his elder brother Morris ( eventually younger brother Matthew Hii too ) was always at Sifu Tang’s house to train.
Many Chinese parents would want their children to focus on academic, but under the care of Sifu Tang, he knows that academic alone is not enough to equip a person for life’s challenges. So he trains them in martial arts.
Sifu Tang’s taught them to always be ready. Winning all the time is not the aim, but to step up & be there. Losing is a part of learning.
This dedication & focus enable the siblings to accomplish a lot in martial arts competition.
Maurien herself has a fight record of 41-31-10
Maurien took her first fight in Labuan’s BAC 2-2016. She took part in many Muaythai & Kickboxing & In 2018 she represented Malaysia for IFMA World Youth Muaythai. Last year she was champion for Bintulu Martial Art Festival (BMAF) & Dec last year at BMAEX won the championship belt.
Even though 2022 was a successful year for her in the ring, but it was also in Aug 2022 that she and her team mate lost their beloved Sifu Tang whom pass away due to long illness of diabetes.
Sifu Tang was like a father figure to her & her team mates was like a 2nd family to her. She remember fondly of Master Tang & her team mates,
“ We would regularly go for 2days 1night trip to Bintulu for fights and when every time I finish my fight my Sifu will be waiting me at downstair of the ring .”
Winning BMAEX 2022 title belt in December after the passing of Master Tang was bittersweet for Maurien,
“ I feel grateful cause winning that belt bring glory for me, my team and my Shifu. I use all the techniques that Shifu taught me. I can feel that he is watching me from heaven, I feel so happy that I can bring a smile to his face.”
“Sometime during training I will be thinking about why my shifu not around me but just in some moment, but i still keep moving on and now focus on what my seniors teach me and focus on my next fight.”
Maurien is currently studying in Curtin University Malaysia taking Accounting and finance course.
She said aside from training & when she is not training she just like to eat and sleep.
What motivates her to continue fighting:
“My Shifu is the one who continues to live in my heart & my seniors who help me, this drives me to continue fighting. I want my parents to be proud of what I am doing and also hope I can be an inspiration to my juniors.”
Gloria Isabelle Hoong , at 30 is one of Sabah’s top female fighter. Born in Penampang, Sabah
She trains at Sabah Top Team under coach Antonio Battistesa.
She has been actively competing in various discipline of combat sports, from Muaythai, Kickboxing to MMA & Boxing.
Aside from martial arts, Gloria love rock climbing, and she would do the fast version of it – Sport climbing. During training for fights, she would put on any upbeat music to be in sync with the heart rate during training.
Current fight record : 8W-1L (MMA), 5W-1L (Kickboxing), 5W-0L (Muay Thai), 2W-0L (Boxing)
Some of her significant achievements are: Fight Fest 3 52kg Kickboxing Champion, STAND 3 52kg Kickboxing Champion , Muay Fight Night 2017 52kg Champion, Rampage Fighting Championship 2017 52kg MMA Champion, Borneo Cup 2017 Muay Thai Gold Medalist , MIMMA Season 5 (MMA)- Runner Up, 2x Mayor Cup Boxing Gold Medalist.
Gloria aims fight in the professional level If the opportunity comes.
Gloria’s message to Maurien:
“ Let’s show everyone what Borneo girls are made of and give them a good show. May the best fighter win! “
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