There are always young, up-and-coming fighters to watch around the world. Unfortunately most mixed martial arts fans don’t get to know these diamonds in the rough unless they are in the UFC. Or in North America, for that matter.
That is where MMASucka.com decided to get involved to bring you this “Fighters to watch from…” feature.
Three fighters to watch from Impact MMA (Singapore)
In this edition, we bring you the top three prospects from Singapore’s own Impact MMA gym. The facility has long been rated as one of Singapore’s best, with its fighters making their mark in a myriad of promotions including ONE FC, Rebel FC, the UFC and Ultimate Beatdown among many others.
When you think of Impact MMA, the likes of ONE FC stars Bruce Loh and Juan Wen Jie, along with the UFC’s Royston Wee may pop to mind, but Impact MMA’s owner Koh Kok Kwang personally gave me the names of these three fighters that he believes are future stars in the Asian MMA scene.
Check them out below in no particular order:
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Name: Andy Neo (Twitter – @PretzelNeo)
Age: 21
Credentials: Amateur MMA (2-0), Amateur Muay Thai (1-0)
Known as “The Pretzel”, Andy Neo possesses a lengthy figure that complements both his striking and grappling credentials. Although he’s yet to make a professional MMA appearance, the young Singaporean fighter has steadily made his mark in the local Amateur MMA scene, most recently competing in Asia’s upstart promotion, Rebel Fighting Championship. Having had spells in Amateur Muay Thai competitions as well, the 21-year-old Welterweight continues to diversify his MMA skills by making trips to neighboring countries such as Thailand to compete in grappling tournaments.
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Name: Nazri Sutari (Twitter – @nazrisutari)
Age: 23
Credentials: Amateur MMA (1-0), Amateur Muay Thai (2-1)
You’d never guess that Nazri Sutari is in fact a fencing coach but that perhaps explains the 23-year-old’s athleticism. The Singaporean has fought primarily at a 155-lbs in his outings thus far, and is predominantly a striker by trait. Nazri brutally finished his opponent with punches at Rebel FC 1: Into the Lion’s Den, just moments into the first round. And with an ever improving ground game coupled with his charismatic entrances and facade, Nazri is certainly one to look out for in the Singaporean MMA circles.
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Name: Garie Tang (Twitter – @garietang)
Age: 23
Credentials: Amateur MMA (3-0), Amateur Muay Thai (1-1), Singapore National Wrestling Team (Competitor)
Garie Tang’s rise in the local combat scene mimics that of UFC Flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson, where the 23-year-old has repeatedly found himself competing in a weight class that’s outside of his comfort zone. He’s a natural pinweight, but due to the lack of opportunities in the region, he has been forced to compete at 125-lbs for the majority of his career. Nonetheless, though small for a Flyweight, he has earned an unblemished 3-0 Amateur MMA record thus far, and a reputation for his complete MMA facet. In his appearance at Rebel FC 1: Into the Lion’s Den, the Singaporean made quick work of his opponent via a beautifully executed Armbar in the first round.
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MMASucka.com recently had the distinct pleasure of catching up with all three fighters. Check out what they had to say in this exclusive video interview, below:
Pictures credit: Sigmund Seah, Sylvester Chin
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Follow Thinesh on Twitter (@ThineshJohnMMA), and keep up with the latest MMA news from MMASucka via Twitter (@MMASucka) and Facebook
