Three Karabaw fighters win semi-final bouts
Published on: Tuesday, August 04, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: Three Team Karabaw fighters displayed absolute prowess to win their Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts (MIMMA) semi-final bouts last weekend at Paradigm Mall in Petaling Jaya.The three, Effendy Kalai, Hafizul Hakim and Tham Yau Kent are among five Team Karabaw members competing in the semi-final which a total of 15 bouts were scheduled on August 1.The day started on the downside for Team Karabaw as Douglas Dann Gumbilai lost out to Negeri Sembilan's Mohd Aiman in the Featherweight bout.
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The mood then lifted back up as seasoned MMA fighter, Effendey comprehensively defeated his opponent, Joshua Khiew from Penang via unanimous decision.However, former national boxer Eddy Kalai was defeated thru TKO via rear naked choke by Kuala Lumpur's Dhiaaul Amal in an intense Flyweight battle.After two of their talented fighters were knocked out of the semis, Hafizul and Tham stepped up to challenge to battle their way into the finals, scheduled on September 5.Hafizul defeated Justin Lo of Kuala Lumpur in the Featherweight category while Tham overpowered Sarawak's Tsan Nieng Khai in the Heavyweight class. Both victors won via unanimous decision.
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Another Sabahan competing was Borneo Tribal Squad fighter, Samuel Lai who lost his fight against Jace Law from Sarawak in the Lightweight category via unanimous decision.Team Manager, Rayner Kinsiong was delighted with his team's performance, proving that the fighters' hard works and dedications brought them victories.
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"The team did great! We got three fighters in the finals," lamented the MMA fighter dubbed as King Karabaw."Overall, I think that Hafizul and Kent (Tham) really made use of their training and executed their matches according to plan, Effendy on the other hand as an experienced fighter, he fought hard and deserve to be in the finals."Eddy and Doug did their best yet were unlucky not to win their fights but nevertheless the both of them made us proud as they fought with pride and honour," he said when contacted yesterday.When asked if he predicted such outcomes, "No, I always expect more from my team. They worked very hard for this and in my opinion, all of them deserve a place in the finals"."I can proudly say that this year's Team Karabaw MIMMA fighters are the dream team. We train, learn and play hard together at the same time encourage each other like a family," he added.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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