4 Reasons Why Jihin Radzuan Could Be A Great World Champion

Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan (3-0) will enter the cage at ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS as one of ONE Championship’s fastest-rising stars.

The unbeaten Malaysian athlete has rocketed to prominence in 2018 – from her promotional debut in March, to her career-best win over Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol in July.

On Friday, 7 December, Jihin takes on former ONE Atomweight World Title challenger Jenny “Lady GoGo” Huang, and victory would solidify her position as one of the leading contenders in the division.

The 20-year-old is still in the early days of her career as a professional mixed martial artist, but here are four reasons why she could be a ONE World Champion in the future.

A Tenacious And Evolving Grappling Game

In her three career victories, Jihin has won with every possible method – a TKO, a submission, and a decision. However, the uniting factor is that her strong work on the ground has led to her success every time.

She showed strong wrestling and an aggressive top game to win her pro debut on the regional circuit, before landing solid ground and pound for the finish. In a similar vein, it was her takedowns and positional dominance that overwhelmed Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol at ONE: PURSUIT OF POWER.

“Shadow Cat’s” versatility was also evident as she submitted Puja Tomar from her back. She constantly attacked for armbars before securing a triangle choke back in March.

The BJJ blue belt has shown a natural ability to incorporate many different grappling elements into her mixed martial arts game – and it is arguably not even her greatest strength.

An Impressive Striking Arsenal

Jihin’s stand-up skills may be more impressive than her grappling, and she promises to showcase them against the submission-savvy Huang.

She had competitive success in wushu, and an exemplary 19-1 combined record across the striking arts of kickboxing and Muay Thai.

Her best work in ONE so far has taken place on the canvas, but once she feels comfortable enough to show her skills on her feet, the world is likely to see how dangerous she can be wherever a bout goes.

The amount of time she has already spent in competition in the ring will be invaluable when the time comes for the Malaysian to go toe-to-toe on the global stage for martial arts.

Maturity Beyond Her Years

Jihin made her ONE debut when she was just 19 years old, and picked up her second victory in The Home Of Martial Arts while she was still a teenager.

She enters the bout against “Lady GoGo” as a 20-year-old riding a wave of momentum, with a lot of experience behind her.

The Ultimate MMA Academy representative went 8-2 in amateur mixed martial arts, and had 20 contests across kickboxing and Muay Thai.

This has shown in her ONE performances. In every outing, she has had fewer professional encounters than her opponent, but her maturity and composure has allowed her to bridge that gap successfully. Who knows how much she will have developed by the time she can match their cage time?

Already A Role Model

Just like every athlete that competes on the global stage for martial arts, Jihin realizes there is more to her role than performing under the lights.

“Shadow Cat” is proud to be an inspiration to all Malaysians – particularly to young women who can look up to her and follow her route into martial arts.

With her actions and success, the Johor Bahru native wants to break boundaries for women in martial arts, and show the next generation that they can change their lives using combat sports.

Her swift rise to prominence has meant a massive increase in attention almost overnight, but the humble athlete has handled the pressure well. She has shown why she will be a great role model by using her platform in the world’s largest martial arts organization to influence and galvanize people across the world.