MIXED Martial Arts exponent Saiful Merican could have ended up as a footballer if not for his passion for combat sports, especially muay thai.
The Terengganu-born fighter disclosed that his late father, who played a big role in shaping his character, believed that he would have a brighter future in football.
"My dad once told me, 'you should play football, you will have a better future in that sport'."
At the time muay thai was not popular yet," said Saiful in a Father's Day posting on Monday.
"In 2008 he passed away on my lap, leaving me, the eldest son, with big responsibilities.
"Just before he left us, he wanted to write something (down).
"He didn't manage to (write) but I could tell from his eyes that he was trying to say 'it (family) is your responsibility now'.
"My dad never told me how to be a good man, father or husband. He showed me how.
"A year after he passed away, I got an offer for my first international fight in China under the World Muay Thai Association.
"It was my biggest fight at the time. I won it with a first round KO.
"Walking backstage with my trophy, I looked to the sky and said to my dad, 'I know you are proud of me, I wish you were here. I am going to make this my career now'.
"True enough, that fight opened many doors for me."
Saiful has since gone on to enjoy a successful career with ONE Championship and he fights in both their MMA and muay thai categories.
The 31-year-old, however, said his pro fight career will have to take a backseat for the rest of this year as he focuses on stabilising his gym business (Merican Muay Thai Gym) which has been greatly affected by Covid-19 restrictions.