KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — Malaysia Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Hayatun Najihin Radzuan is confident she will seal victory at ONE Championship: Pursuit of Power tomorrow.
The 20-year-old, dubbed the “Shadowcat”, said a better fight camp has boosted her morale leading up to the match.
“I wouldn’t say I’m too confident, but I am, and I’m pretty sure the fight will be on my side.
“My coach (Melvin Yeoh) has added more dimensions into my training programme with a higher intense fighting programme, a stricter diet and a lot of emphasis on my strength and conditioning,” she said.
She has also been busy watching videos of her opponent — Indonesia’s Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol.
“I’ve watched all of her fights and the last three has been quite average. One thing that has impressed me is her ability to keep a good distance, something she displayed during a defeat to Gina Iniong last year.
“From the other matches, I see quite a lot of weaknesses.”
The fighter, who fights out of Ultimate MMA in Johor, gave Malaysian fans a treat in March as she recorded a debut victory against India’s Pooja Tomar via submission in round two.
However, she was clearly not too happy with her performance during the victory.
“I mentioned before that it was a rusty performance, but I’m more prepared this time around.
“I’ve watched my fight video several times and I’m well aware of my weaknesses and strengths,” she said.
Her plan tomorrow is simple — to avoid kicks and to enjoy a good ground-and-pound battle.
“She’s a wushu champion and I’ll try avoiding her side kicks. She looks tough and moves fast.
“The fight can last three rounds, but who knows she might struggle against an opponent like me.”
Najihin (2-0) will be aiming to maintain her 100 per cent finish record while her counterpart will be hoping to disappoint the Malaysian faithful to move 4-2 in her MMA career.
“I’m really nervous when I fight in front of my fans, this time more pressure will be on me because the fans will be expecting me to win.
“Some have also dropped me messages via social media and they’ve been very supportive. Thank you for your messages, I’ll put on a good show,” she said.
Headlining the event will be her comrade Agilan Thani who is up against Sweden’s Zebaztian Kadestam.
Keanu Subba completes the Malaysian card as he takes on China’s Xie Chao — his first appearance in nearly a year.
