Jeff Chan Aims To Outstrike Radeem Rahman In ONE Debut
Jeff Chan promises he will put on a show in his ONE Championship debut with a display of superb striking that is sure to get fans off their seats.
This Friday, 28 February, the Canadian will face Radeem Rahman in a bantamweight match that will kick off the action at ONE: KING OF THE JUNGLE.
The 28-year-old is coming off back-to-back victories that have taken him to The Home of Martial Arts and he feels like he is better-equipped than ever after rounding out his game at the world-famous Tristar gym in Montreal, Canada, with head coach Firas Zahabi.
However, as his career on the global stage begins, Chan is planning to use this opportunity to show off his abilities on the feet.
“I have very fluid striking, and my striking is clean,” he says.
“I’m not a dirty, grinder type of athlete. I use clean technique and people love to see it. My striking is beautiful.”
Chan recognizes that Rahman will not be afraid to trade with him and he has never been knocked out, but he suggests that it would not be a wise move for the Singaporean.
The Canadian is an amateur Muay Thai champion with 26 bouts under striking rulesets, as well as a pair of first-round TKO finishes in his first three mixed martial arts wins, so he is sure he will have the edge on the feet.
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“I haven’t studied him too much, but from what I’ve seen, he’s a long and tall guy for our weight class,” he adds.
“I am going to outstrike him. I’m assuming he’s going to try and take it to the ground because I don’t believe he can stand up with me.”
With that said, Chan will not underestimate Rahman, who will compete in his hometown and has earned all of his victories in the world’s largest martial arts organization by stoppage.
The Singaporean is also a true veteran, having competed in various disciplines for more than a decade and made his professional mixed martial arts debut at the first ONE event in 2011.
“He has experience. All of his bouts have been with ONE Championship, so I’m expecting it to be a tough and good contest,” Chan adds.
Though he is confident, the Ottawa native admits he is feeling some jitters, but only because he is desperate to live up to his potential and put on a memorable performance in his organizational debut at ONE: KING OF THE JUNGLE.
A dynamic performance like he is predicting would confirm Chan as an exciting athlete to watch out for in 2020 and a new threat in the talent-stacked bantamweight division.
“Before every bout, more specifically this one, I’m nervous. It’s a big organization, and I want to make the most of my opportunity,” the 28-year-old says.
Plus, Chan has a bigger fanbase than most ONE newcomers thanks to his hundreds of thousands of fans and followers through his social media presence and MMAShredded YouTube page.
In Singapore, he is determined to live up to their expectations and continue to teach martial arts to students all over the world by showing his skills at the highest level of his sport.
“I’m not just competing for myself. I’m grateful to be seen as a teacher or coach to so many people around the world,” he adds.
“It’s exciting for them to see me go out there and practice what I preach and test myself. There’s a million other lessons and takeaways you get from training and competing in martial arts. It’s not just about a win or loss. There’s so much more about character building in this sport, and that represents my audience.”
Read more: Radeem Rahman Has Never Given Up On His Martial Arts Dream
