As I burnt the midnight oil writing this story, up north in the island of Penang, a team of crew in Gurney Paragon Mall is busy setting up for Warriors FC. Since 2014, Warriors FC (WFC) has been the premier combat sports promotion in the northern region of Malaysia. They have organized a few successful events which not only feature many local martial arts stars but also athlete from outside Malaysia. WFC has also managed to successfully provide a full entertainment package to fight fans by combining an after fight party at clubs where fight fans can mingle and get to meet the fighters and their team.

Pass WFC events

But this Sunday fight ( 31 JUL 2016 ) will see WFC taking a very important steps towards improving the standard of combat sports in this country. WFC is setting up a ranking system for all weight categories. Sunday event is not a one off fight event to determine the ranking but will be the start as WFC will continuously organise series of events to further deepen the rank for each weight category. This will be the first combat sports promotion in Malaysia to do such ranking, which usually is done by bigger organization such as Japan’s Shooto, UFC, Bellator and K1.

Sunday’s event will be led by a pro card in welterweight. WFC also will be the first in Malaysia to feature the 4-men Grand Prix in 2 separate divisions as the launch of Warriors Fighting Championship MMA ranking system. The Grand Prix tournament will witness an athlete fight twice in one night to gain the top spot of the ranking.

THE LIST OF FIGHT IS AS FOLLOWS: –

Professional MMA Welterweight (under 77.1 kg)
Marlon Santos Souza (Brazil) VS Arben “Bigbang” Escayo (Philippines)
Amateur MMA Featherweight – Grand Prix (under 65.8 kg)
Loc Tranquang (Vietnam)
Farid Arif (Malaysia)
Nursultan Amangeldiev (Kazakhstan)
Shareh Nasrullah (Malaysia)
Amateur MMA Flyweight – Grand Prix (under 56.7 kg)
Murugan Silvarajoo (Malaysia)
Hussain Jan Turi (Pakistan)
Akezhan Amangeldin (Kazakhstan)
Nik Alfam (Malaysia)

There will also be 7 Malaysian Amateur MMA and Kickboxing matches for up and coming talents in the local combat sport scene:

Amatuer MMA Heavyweight (120 kg)
Shafiq Marican (Positive Gym) VS Azreel Izzat (Lekir MMA)
Amateur MMA Flyweight (56.7 kg)
Calsen Choong (K One MMA Academy) VS Eddy see (MuayFit)
Amatuer MMA Welterweight (77 kg)
Jason George (K-One MMA Academy) VS Amirul Firdaus (Lekir MMA)
Amatuer MMA Featherweight (66 kg)
Shaik Muhd Afiq (K-One MMA Academy) VS Fadilah Abdul Rahim (PM Fight Club)

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Amatuer Kickboxing (68 kg)
Jordan Chin (Tactical gym) VS Samueal Durairaj (Meekhong Muay Thai)
Amatuer Kickboxing (66 kg)
Mervien Raj (Saiprawat Gym) VS Abd Nur Fateh (Tactical Gym)
Amatuer Kickboxing (73 kg)
Wei Ko (Tactical Gym) VS Alif Mokhtar (Lekir MMA)

According to Dominic Dorall. WFC’s President and CEO, this ranking system will see an organized structure being implemented where fighters pass records of fights will be recorded and given scores. New comers whom just started their amateur fighting career will be pooled in a division where most of them are also just starting out.

As their record starts to improve, they will be move to a higher division. Eventually fighters that have at least 5 or more amateur fights with respectable results will progress to be a pro in the top divisions. This top divisions again will have 2 group, where one group will be fighters that just turn pro, and the other one are pros that have already fought a couple of times.

As each fighter will be match among fighters in his own divisions, this will create competitiveness to top the group and also avoid mismatch. This is a very important factor as a mismatch can results in serious injuries when fighters skills differs too much.

Top rank fighter will eventually be offered title fight

Ranking system will also create an organize system for fighters to have their fights properly recorded. Experience at IMMAF (International MMA Federation) 2014 was a learning point. At IMMAF 2014 where MIMMA1 champions were sent to Las Vegas to compete representing Malaysia, IMMAF officials scrutinized the fight records of Malaysian fighters and questions some of the fight records which makes our fighters appear to be fighting pro which disqualify them for participating in IMMAF World Championship, which is only for amatuer fighters. It must be noted that in the early days of 2000 – 2014 many fight events in Malaysia were not regulated by any sanctioning bodies and organisers practically run an event base on their own terms and regulations.

Matchmaker FS Cheng going through some detailks with Arben and Marlon
Sunday’s WFC event held at Gurney Paragon Mall is free. Only a few dinner tables will be sold to collect funds for charity which will go to St. Joseph Orphanage and Children Protection Society. Not only just contributing charitable funds, but WARRIORS (WFC) has also started providing a program for youth/athletes to help to grow the sports of MMA in Malaysia.

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WFC seeks to discover and develop local MMA talents by being the platform for amateur and professional MMA practitioners to compete and put their highly honed skills and countless hours of dedicated training to the test.

Safety is also a top priorities, especially for a full contact sports like MMA & Kickboxing. The promotion would be the first in Malaysia to regulate a fighters’ license that will ensure the safety of all fighters and promotions. There will be a mandatory blood test (which test for HIV, Hepatitis & STD) to further protect the well-being of the athletes for all WFC MMA events.

Drawing blood from fighters for blood test
Dominic Dorall. WFC’s President and CEO (middle) with his partners from REEBOK 
On 31st July 2016, WFC will be launched by a signing ceremony. This is between WFC Managing Director Dato’ C.C. Ooi , Officiating the partnership of WARRIORS and Reebok Malaysia (under RSH (M) Sdn. Bhd. to activate Reebok related events in Malaysia.

Reebok currently is active in partnership with CrossFit, Les Mills, UFC, Spartan Race (Obstacle Race), Ragnar Relay. This signing will see in the future WARRIORS branded event in various sports events other than combat sports, such as crossfit and obstacle run, all supported strongly by Reebok.

WFC will also be signing a MOU with UiTM to further explore and develop future events as partners.

After the ceremony, the first fight will start at 2.30pm. Come and witness foreign fighters from various countries such as Vietnam, Pakistan and Khazakstan and local Malaysian boys showcasing their talent in martial arts.

Don’t miss the main card fight featuring Brazilian Marlon Santos Souza vs Arben “Bigbang” Escayo of Philippines. Marlon is debuting pro MMA. Arben has a 1-2-0 record and have experience fighting two former UFC fighter; Will Chope and Tommy Harden.

Fighting at amateur welterweight meanwhile will be Sabahan Jason George, formerly with Team Karabaw Kota Kinabalu, but have since move to Penang, which he nows represent K-ONE MMA. George will look to collect another win after last July’s Warriors Fight Challenge. George will face Amirul Fidaus of Lekir MMA.

For more information about WFC’s events and partnership enquiries, please visit www.facebook.com/WarriorFCAsia.