KUALA LUMPUR: National Muay Thai athlete, Mohd Rifdean Masdor, clinched an impressive knockout win in his debut appearance at the ONE Championship in Bangkok, Thailand, last night.
Rifdean only needed less than 90 seconds to defeat his opponent from Thailand, Pichai Lookbanmai, via Technical Knockout (TKO) in the ONE Friday Fights 56 event at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
This victory allowed Rifdean, representing Team Sor Sommai, to take home a bonus of 350,000 baht (RM45,700). Rifdean, interviewed after the match, revealed that the presence of his coach from Malaysia injected him with the motivation to achieve victory in the fight.
"I am very happy with this victory. This is my dream.
"My coach came from Malaysia to watch me fight in the ONE Championship. It further boosted my confidence.
"He told me to fight wholeheartedly for my family, team, and my country, Malaysia," said Rifdean, who has been crowned world champion in the under-23 age category three times.
Despite it being his debut, Rifdean showed no signs of fear as he launched a relentless attack on Pichai, making it difficult for the opponent to respond.
This strategy paid off for Rifdean as he secured victory in just 1 minute and 18 seconds in the first round with a TKO win.