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 Khan seemed destined for sporting success from an early age. He had
his first professional Muay Thai fight in Thailand when he was just
14 and made his MMA debut just a few weeks after celebrating his
18th birthday.
What most people don’t know about Khan is that before turning his
attention full time to martial arts he was on course to become a
professional golfer. Growing up, the Singaporean’s idol was not a
Muay Thai fighter or mixed martial artist but the man who was
setting the PGA tour alight at the time,
“As my dad is a golf instructor I often joined him for golf games
and watched golf tournaments. I started playing golf when I was in
primary school, at the age of 12. I love watching Tiger Woods and
wanted to be like him.”
Khan’s aspirations to follow in the footsteps of a man who has won
14 major championships were not entirely unrealistic. He excelled at
golf and showed enough promise at the start of his career to suggest
that he might one day break into the professional ranks,
“During school I won a few inter school competitions and if I didn’t
win, I would always finish in the top ten. I was playing a handicap
of 4 when I last played.”
Coming up, Khan is slated to face Filipino featherweight Jimmy Yabo
at ONE: PRIDE OF LIONS. The fight is set for the Singapore Indoor
Stadium on 13 November and there will be 12,000 fans cheering his
name. It’s a long way from the more sedate world of golf where he
believes he could have forged a successful career,
“I feel I could have been a professional golfer but my heart has
always been in martial arts. I feel more comfortable in the cage and
decided to follow my heart and do what I love most.”
‘The cage’ is a place where opponents can attack you with fists,
elbows, knees and shins as well as attempting submissions and
takedowns. The concept of being comfortable there might sound a
strange one, particularly to golf fans, but Khan says the lessons he
learned on the fairways have actually stood him in good stead during
his fighting career,
“Golf taught me to be very focused, to overcome any difficult
situation. In the game of golf there is a saying ‘play every hole as
a new hole’ so you learn from any mistakes and move on to the next
challenge.”
Athleticism, speed and strength are assets that mixed martial
artists require. But the sport also requires immense mental
discipline and this is where Khan feels his experience as a
promising young golfer can potentially give him an edge over
opponents.
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In his last fight he lost to top Thai featherweight Shannon
Wiratchai. It was a hotly contested split decision with two of the
three judges voting against the Singaporean. Other fighters might
dwell on such a contentious defeat but Khan has simply moved on,
“At the time I thought I had done enough to win but now I am just
focused on my next fight. I’m lucky to train with some of the best
trainers and training partners in the world at Evolve MMA in
Singapore and they always make sure I am ready to fight, both
physically and mentally.”
Whereas Singapore is not known for producing world class golfers the
country has emerged as an epicenter for mixed martial arts. Asia’s
biggest MMA promotion, ONE Championship, is headquartered there and
the ‘Lion City’ is also home to one of the most famous training
facilities on the planet.
Evolve MMA boasts a roster of trainers from all over the world and
famous champions like Shinya Aoki, Ben Askren and Rafael Dos Anjos
are all on the fight team. There are also a number of up and coming
Singaporeans coming out of that camp and Khan is the most exciting
prospect in the current crop.
It’s a lot of pressure to put on the shoulders of a 20 year old. MMA
fans in Singapore would love nothing more than to see a homegrown
fighter win a world title and Khan, who competes in the
featherweight division, is being tipped to eventually reach the top.
He will be looking to score his fourth win of his professional
career at ONE: PRIDE OF LIONS but if the pressure ever gets too much
and needs a relaxing day off he knows exactly where to head,
“When I am not busy training I will join my Dad and his friends for
a round of golf.”
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reserved.]
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