Star Indonesian MMA Fighter Prepares for ONE World Title Contender
ONE Championship mixed martial artist Stefer Rahardian overcame a life of hardship before being introduced to Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 2008.
Stefer has won multiple grappling tournaments and received a brown belt under Carlson Gracie, a descendant of Brazilian jiu-jitsu pioneer Carlos Gracie.
Stefer, who holds a perfect 8-0 record, is eagerly anticipating his next challenge inside the ONE Championship cage, where he will fight against India’s Himanshu Kaushik in a three-round flyweight contest on the undercard of ONE: Grit and Glory. The match will take place at the Jakarta Convention Center on May 12.
The 31-year-old Indonesian standout will look to extend his winning streak at ONE Championship to raise his stock in the promotion’s stacked flyweight division. “I am very excited to compete again in Asia’s premier martial arts promotion. I look forward to this bout because it’s my chance to move up in the rankings of ONE Championship’s flyweight division,” Stefer said.
“I have to focus on winning this match because it means everything to me,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kaushik will aim to impress in his maiden ONE Championship appearance at ONE: Grit and Glory. The Indian fighter has competed mostly in his native India, showcasing a solid set of striking and grappling skills. However, his promotional debut will be anything but easy as he faces off against Stefer.
Stefer expects his flyweight showdown with Kaushik to have no shortage of firepower, as they are both known for their exciting fighting styles. “It will be an exciting encounter. I know he has prepared very hard for this bout. I also pushed myself to the limit in training for this. Both of us would like to win. May the best man win,” he said.
Being aware of his Indian opponent’s assets, Stefer is determined not to be left behind with a determination to showcase an improved version of himself at ONE: Grit and Glory.
“I always tell myself that I need to improve every single day. I understand that professional sports have continually evolved, and the bar is being raised all the time. I find that the bar for this sport has risen at a faster rate, and the higher level that you are at, the faster the evolution is,” he said. “Those who do not evolve, or even keep up with the evolution, will eventually get taken out. I am here to stay and be at the top.”
With a nine-year record of training and competing, Rahardian is ready to take his next step up the ladder at the next ONE Championship event in the capital.
As the largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions on the largest media broadcast in Asia.
The Jakarta event will be broadcast to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across more than 128 countries around the world, with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, Premier Sports, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, as well as Indonesia’s own SCTV.
Courtesy : Jakarta Globe
Photo : Jakarta Globe
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