The pounding of the rain against the zinc roof of the modest but vibrant Bali MMA gym in the surf utopia of Canggu, Bali is merciless. The wind no longer whispers but hisses ominously, as a silver streak zips across the sombre sky.
Seated in front of me cradling an ice cold fruit smoothie in the gym’s make-shift “café” is young Malaysian martial artist, Muhammad Aiman, or “Jungle Cat” as he’s better known. His unusual fight moniker befits the lithe and gangly Negri Sembilan native, who’s made his home in Bali for more than three years in order to better hone his craft.
“The name was given to me by my old coach. He says that’s how I fight. You know, I kinda prowl and jump around a lot when I’m in the ring,” confides the former Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts (MIMMA) Featherweight champion, his voice rising in his attempts to be heard above the angry growls of the thunder.
One of the country’s fastest rising martial arts talents and one of the standout fighters from the famous ONE Championship stable (the largest global sports media property in Asian history), Aiman is looking forward to returning home for his clash against Cambodia’s Rin Saroth, a Kun Khmer specialist, for ONE: Visions of Victory showcase at the Axiata Stadium in Bukit Jalil, KL.
His oft-guarded eyes light up when he tells me that nothing beats getting into the “cage” and “performing” in front of a rapturous home crowd. “It’s special. All our Malaysian athletes look forward to being on home soil and showing our fans what we can do,” says Aiman, his tone, reverent. An amiable silence ensues as we both turn to enjoy the dramatic turbulence that seems intent on disrupting the tranquil idyll of this resort village on the south coast of Bali.
TERMINATOR TERMINATED
“Wow, that feels like such a long time ago!” exclaims a familiar drawl as I find myself snapping back to the present and into the cocoon of a modest room somewhere down a labyrinthine corridor at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila. From outside, bursts of raucous cheering reverberate.
Suffice to say, I can still remember that first time I clapped eyes on the laid-back young athlete with the wild flowing locks. It really does feel as if it were only yesterday. Fast forward to more than a year later and the rain, surprisingly, is still pounding incessantly outside. But this is no balmy Bali but rainy Manila.
Surreally, I’m looking into the bemused eyes of the “Jungle Cat” who, just minutes earlier, had clocked an impressive unanimous decision victory over his Indonesian opponent, “The Terminator” Sunoto in a proud night for Malaysia at ONE: Dawn of Heroes showcase in Manila. Looking lean and mean, the now 24-year-old Aiman was always a step ahead throughout the three-round bout as he out-struck and out-grappled Sunoto to walk away with the curtain-raising win.
Having been on a hiatus of more than eight months from the cage, and coming off a unanimous decision loss in his last outing in November 2018 against Japan’s Shuya Kamikubo, this victory is a much awaited one. Yet, despite delivering on his promise to make Malaysia proud, the Bali MMA representative appears somewhat sombre when asked to recall the bantamweight clash.
Looking wistful, Aiman confides: “Of course I’m grateful for the victory but to be honest, I feel there was so much more I could have done. I was far too tentative in the first couple of rounds; in fact, the second round was a nightmare. I just froze. Things only started to come together by the third round and I felt more comfortable to unleash my “creativity”. But, I’m disappointed lah that I left it so late so I wasn’t able to show everything in my arsenal of skills.”
Don’t be so hard on yourself, I console him, gently placing a hand on his sweat-stained shoulder. But that’s just Aiman – the guy whose mantra in life is that there is NO plan B. In other words, do or die. When he made the decision to embrace the path of a fighter, he’d told himself that there’d be no turning back and that he’d do whatever it takes to develop himself into an elite martial artist.
And that’s exactly how this self-confessed drifter found himself in Bali, away from the comforts of home and family. At the Bali MMA gym where he now trains out of, Aiman has found himself a new “family”, comprising his team mates, coaches and friends that he makes along the way, as well as a daily routine that has helped to make him feel more settled.
OF SACRIFICES AND DREAMS
“I can’t play around anymore if I want to do this. I have to leave and find myself a gym where the coaches will be able to push me…” Aiman’s emphatic final words before I left Canggu that sombre morning come flooding back as I cast a furtive glance at the athlete’s bowed head.
Growing up, Aiman spent the bulk of his formative years being on the move because of his father’s job. Dad was an accountant and his work took him everywhere. By the time he (Aiman) was 15, the family relocated back to his birth state and home was Seremban.
As a youngster, Aiman, the eldest of four siblings, loved sports. He enjoyed football and rugby; he was also a runner at school. But he never really excelled at any particular one. That was before he discovered boxing at the age of 15.
According to Aiman, it felt really good to finally know that he could be good at something. He recalls the state’s team coming to his school and doing a talk. They invited those who were interested to come to their gym and try the sport out. And he did – for a couple of months.
As it turned out, he was a natural. Aiman went on to represent his district and excelled. And for someone who’d never won anything on the school field, it was like an epiphany for the youngster. Although he eventually represented his home state and was also in the running to compete in Sukma, Aiman found himself growing restless. And it was during this period that he discovered MMA (mixed martial arts).
He was 17 and happened to catch an MMA bout on YouTube. Interest piqued, Aiman decided to study some of the techniques which he’d seen and try them out for himself. It was actually a friend who alerted him to the Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts (MIMMA), the first largest All-Malaysian mixed martial arts amateur tournament in the country.
Excited by the news, Aiman did try out for it but wasn’t successful. He found himself put in the reserves. But as fate would have it, chance came a-knocking when a fighter who was due to fight succumbed to injuries.
It was literally a week before the clash when he got the call to step in. And like all good scripts, Aiman performed well and won. He was 18 then and the youngest in that bracket. Soon after, many doors began opening for him, and he found that he was welcomed to train at any gym he wanted.
After his MIMMA triumph, Aiman, who’s also a talented artist and cook, finally knew what he wanted to do with his life. He wasn’t interested in continuing his education beyond SPM. After a string of amateur bouts, which culminated in him winning the MIMMA Featherweight Championship, the youngster turned professional in April 2016.
Having made some money working as a sous-chef in a friend’s café, Aiman finally had the resources to make that move to Bali where he would chart his new life. “I really wanted to fight MMA and to be signed by ONE Championship so badly,” recalls Aiman.
His resolve was strengthened having seen his fellow Malaysian team mates, Agilan Thani and Keanu Subba being signed by the promotion. “Yeah, it was very challenging in the early days. I struggled over money but Donnie, one of the coaches at the gym was kind enough to offer me little jobs here and there so I could make some money. I’d mop the mats after every training session or help assist a class – just to earn my keep.”
Chuckling, he adds: “I slept on people’s couches or someone’s floor… it didn’t matter to me. I just went with the flow. All I wanted to do was just train and improve my skills as a fighter. And all the while, at the back of my mind I was praying fervently for the chance to get a fight in somehow.”
BALI MAGNET
Asked to share about his daily life in Bali, Aiman smiles before regaling me with his routine: “I’d usually wake up around 8am and then make breakfast at home. Where’s home? Home is with Mike (Ikilei, Bali MMA’s head striking coach) who has a bungalow for the fighters. There are eight people in this 7-bedroom house and each room has its own bathroom.”
Chuckling, he adds: “There are actually two houses for the fighters. Both in Canggu. Ours is the bigger one and we like to say it’s the “elite” house. It’s a little bit rough! The other one is smaller and the occupants are probably saner!
Much of his life in Bali revolves around the gym. After breakfast, Aiman, who dreams of one day owning a café when he’s no longer fighting, would head to the gym and help out with pad work. He’d return home after a few hours before heading back to the gym again for his own training, which would commence at midday. Continuing, he explains: “I’d train for an hour and a half and then I’d get lunch. The rest of the day would be pretty “chilled”, just hanging out with friends over coffee or maybe relaxing at the beach.”
Pride lacing his voice, Aiman shares that the Bali MMA gym is a magnet for fighters. “In fact, we get new fighters coming every two months. In the past, Phuket used to be the more popular place for people to come and train. But we’ve made Bali happening! At the end of the day, fighters just want to be able to train hard and at the same time, stay on a nice island.”
Although life can be challenging away from the comforts of home, Aiman, who’ll be back in Negri Sembilan for Hari Raya Aidiladha, is adamant that he wouldn’t have it any other way. Chuckling heartily, he confides: “These days, I can’t be home longer than 10 days or I’ll just end up butting heads with my mum!”
Elaborating, he shares: “When I’m home, I’m tired from all the training and all I want to do is chill. Maybe I’ll go and hang out with friends in Seremban or just stay in my room, watch TV and do nothing. But mum would normally have other ideas for me, so she’ll be on my case!”
Although being away from home has matured him as a person and a fighter, the affable 24-year-old, whose father hails from Perak, and mother, Kuala Pilah, concedes that the downside is that he tends to miss out on family milestones.
Sheepishly, he confides: “Sometimes I do feel awkward being around my cousins because so much have happened in their lives and I’m only playing catch-up every time I come home. We don’t really have much in common anymore. That said, my uncles and aunts are great as they do try to be involved in my life via social media and they’re very supportive of my career path.”
Whatever the sacrifices he has to make, or the challenges he has to face, one gets the feeling that nothing will stop the determined “Jungle Cat” on his prowl to success. And as he basks in the aftermath of a victory well deserved, rest assured that he’s already planning his next moves – stealthily but surely.