Ground and Pound - Fightnews

Radeem Rahman (1-0) is the first professional mixed martial artist from Singapore. He trains at Evolve MMA in Singapore and competed at the first One FC event in the Singapore Indoor Stadium, where he was able to stop India’s Susovan Ghosh in the opening-round of their fight. Radeem tells GroundandPound.de how he got into martial arts, how it is like to be Singapore’s first MMA professional, and a good deal more.

GroundandPound: How did you get into martial arts?
Radeem Rahman: Since a very young age I have been drawn to martial arts, and felt a strong desire to test myself through competition. I consider myself a true student of martial arts, and love that there is always more to learn as the sport is constantly evolving.

You are Singapore's first professional MMA fighter, what does it mean for you?
I am very proud of my Singaporean heritage, and I take great pride in representing my country when I compete. As the first professional mixed martial artist I naturally feel some pressure, but I take my responsibility as a role model very seriously. I want to pave the way for the younger generation of Singaporean mixed martial artists, and hopefully inspire them to follow their dreams.

What was it like to be part of the first One FC event?
It was a huge event with a great atmosphere. I was honored to be able to compete in front of my home crowd and bring a victory to Singapore. Hearing the crowd cheer for me was one of the proudest moments of my life, and I am grateful for the opportunity I was given. I am now motivated to train even harder at Evolve MMA, in preparation for my future competitions.

You defeated Susovan Ghosh at the event, please tell us how you remember the fight.
Everything came to me very naturally. I train so hard at Evolve, and my instructors prepared me so well that by the time I entered the cage I knew I would be victorious. I stuck to the game plan my instructors developed, which was to utilize my Muay Thai technique standing, and to finish the competition with my grounds skills. It all went perfectly.

What do you think about the Evolve MMA fight team you are training with?
It is a dream come true. Our team functions like a family. Everyone is very close, and we support each other in everything we do. The training is very tough, but that is why we are so successful. We work very hard at developing all aspects of our mixed martial arts game from Brazilian jiu-jitsu to muay thai to wrestling to mma specific techniques. We have World
Champions in every discipline so there is no reason for us not to become
proficient in all disciplines of martial arts.

Do you already know, when you will fight against and who your opponent will be?
I do not yet have a date for my next competition. My instructors take care of that. Right now I am just focused on training every day and improving every day. When my instructors decide I am ready, I will be prepared.

What are your goals for the future?
My goal is to be a world champion, and follow in the footsteps of my instructors. They are my role models and mentors. It will not be an easy journey, but I train with the best and believe in myself.


Daniel Scherhammer is editor for GroundandPound.de – the premier martial arts website for German-speaking Europe. He covers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and Grappling. For more news, rumors, and comments follow him on Twitter @DanielS_GnP.