By Zai Muhd
This highly anticipated and exciting event may sound like it suits only adrenaline junkies, but the audience that came to Suntec City Convention Centre on this Friday evening was from all walks of life. Feisty, half-naked men (and women) were the ‘main course’ of the night, with ‘desserts’ served alongside for good measure.
Nine high-octane bouts were set to entertain Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fans and even those watching MMA for the first time. Female fighters got a lot of the limelight, with former Olympian and Singaporean fighter, May Ooi, facing off against rookie Sharmah Deviah, from The Philippines.
Following previous successes of ONE FC and UFC Singapore, REBEL Fighting Championship hopes to recreate the potent atmosphere with the latest installment of ‘Battle Royale’, as the appeal of MMA continues to grow here in Singapore and the rest of Asia.
The crowd had to endure a slight delay before the first bout could start, due some technical difficulties, but this actually added to the thrill and anxiety as the names of every fighter and the country they represented were read out by the Announcer.
Singaporean Syafiq ‘The Slasher’ Samad won his bout against Kenny Thompson of the United States of America after a mere 2 minutes and 46 seconds into the first round, during which he landed two clinical hooks, which instantly knocked his opponent out.
The crowd cheered fiercely for the fighter for doing his home country proud and, throughout the night, each participant fed off the energy of the audience.
In all, the spectacle was a success and many stayed on until the final bout despite the event extending past midnight. The fighters certainly gave the audience a night they will always remember.
