Ev Ting who has six wins in eight fights will face Indonesia
PETALING JAYA: Ev Ting is hellbent on causing a hometown defeat when he makes his make his debut in the One FC: Era of Champions in Jakarta on Saturday.
Fighting in Indonesia for the first time, Ev reckons there’s no better way to hit the ground running than with a win over local exponent Yohan Mulia Legowo in the bantamweight clash at the Mata Elang International Stadium.
“I’m definitely looking forward to experiencing the local cuisine, the MMA culture over there ... and also the crowd’s reaction when I cause a hometown upset,” said the 25-year-old Ev, who moved to Auckland, New Zealand, with his family at the age of eight.
He said it would be a “great honour to be able to represent two great countries,” along with two more Malaysians – flyweight Gianni Subba and bantamweight Ella Tang.
Gianni will take on Filipino Ruel Catalan while Ella will face Desi Rahayu of Indonesia on Saturday.
Ev, who has six wins in eight matches, hasn’t fought since losing to Choi Yeong-gwang via a split decision back in April last year.
But he warns that “that’s no measure of what I’m capable of when I’m in the cage”.
This car mechanic apprentice turned personal lifestyle trainer turned mixed martial artist believes his non-martial arts background is the ace up his sleeve.
“I jumped straight into MMA training in 2009 without any martial arts background, so my fight style is very neutral. I like to incorporate different styles of fighting, am not set in my ways and I can change things up during bouts,” said Ev, who played rugby and football in school.
“After my last fight, I committed myself to a full-time regime but it was unfortunate I couldn’t get a fight.
“A year ago, MMA was just a hobby but now it’s my life. I take it more seriously with regards to fitness, health, mental and preparation aspects now. I’ve also got into kickboxing and grappling tournaments to keep active and expand my range,” he added.
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