Rising martial arts star Edilah Johany is eager to prove why she belongs in the world’s largest martial arts organization, and she gets a chance to do so when Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series returns on Thursday, 20 June.
The 26-year-old Sabahan has been looking forward to making her return for the past couple of months, and she hopes to make full use of this opportunity by leaving the ring with an impressive stoppage victory.
“I’ve been training every day, even though I didn’t have a fight coming up because I want my body to always be competition-ready. I’m physically and mentally prepared for this fight, too,” the Ewako MMA representative stated.
“It’s always a great feeling to represent my country and to prove what Malaysian athletes can do. I know I’m going to put in a good performance, and I’m going to find that finish — either via submission, knockout, or a good ground and pound exchange.”
The Malaysian is scheduled to face South Korea’s Ji Yeon Seo in a three-round women’s atomweight contest.
Ji is no stranger to the Asian mixed martial arts scene, having garnered a 6-4 record since her debut in 2017.
Despite her hunger for a finish, Johany refuses to get too confident. The striking specialist knows her 18-year-old South Korean opponent could be her toughest battle to date.
“Based on what I saw from her last fight, she is a good striker. She also likes to keep the match at her reach because that’s her advantage. Apart from that, she is quite a well-rounded fighter,” Johany explained.
“However, I think her weakness is her ground game, and that she doesn’t like to get pressured. That is why throughout my training camp, I’ve been improving on my striking and ground game.
“I’ve worked on my strength and conditioning, too, which helps me improve my stamina and power. It’s vital because I want to be able to throw a knockout punch.”
Johany – who is coached by Hisyam “Zephyrus” Samsudin – is also aware of the coveted ONE Championship contract that is awarded to the top athletes in OWS.
She hopes her performances at OWS thus far, which includes a 15-second knockout and a first-round submission win, has been enough to impress the scouts.
“This is my passion, and this is what I’ve always liked to do,” the Sabahan said.
“I’ve sacrificed a lot of things just to learn and be great at it. Of course, I have to improve my performance even more if I win. It takes time for good things to happen, and I’m not going to rush for it.”
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_osp2cHFwZA
