The Singapore-based promotion  showcases its first ever mixed martial arts event, titled “Into the Lion’s Den”, on December 21 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Featuring seven yet-to-be-announced Amateur line-ups on the undercard and five professional main card contests on an expected twelve bout fight card, Rebel Fighting Championship’s inaugural spectacle is set to bring about something new and different to the Asian MMA landscape.

Rebel FC 1: Into the Lion’s Den press conference highlights

As previously announced, Rebel FC 1: Into the Lion’s Den will be headlined by a 145-lbs match-up pitting top Australian Featherweight “Ruthless” Rob Lisita (12-5) against two-time Shooto champ, “Lion” Takeshi Inoue (21-8). A Lightweight battle, meanwhile, ensues between Singapore’s own Syafiq Samad (2-0) and Korean Top Team’s Gyo Pyung Hwang (3-3) in the co-main event slot.

TUF: Brazil competitor Marcos Vinicius (20-5-1) returns to action for the first time following his three-fight stint in the UFC’s octagon as he collides with fellow promotional newcomer, and Legend FC vet, Taiyo Nakahara (13-7). Elsewhere, Doo Hwan Kim (4-1) takes on Brazil’s Cristiano Kaminishi (8-1, 2 NC) in a captivating 205-lbs encounter.

Lisita, Inoue, Samad and Hwang were in attendance at a press conference held by the promotion this past Monday afternoon. The fighters took to the stage as panelists, and were joined by CEO and founder, Justin Leong.

Members of the media that were present included personnel from Channel News Asia, MSN, Straits Times Singapore and of course, MMASucka.com among many others.

Check out some of the highlights below:

Rebel FC CEO Justin Leong:

On the difference between Rebel FC and other regional promotions…

“Rebel Fighting Championship is all about the fighters. We’re a fighter-centric promotion. Right now, we’re not so concerned about competition or statistics. We are about putting on quality fights, making the fans connected to the fighters in terms of their background stories, their styles and also information about them. We’re also developing amateur talents in Singapore, honing their crafts and giving them an opportunity to perform on a big show.”

On whether the MMA industry in Singapore is saturated…

“This is the only industry whereby free companies are considered saturated, which is pretty funny. I would say based on the growth of the sport in Singapore, it’s the fasted growing sport in the world. Just the statistics of the people competing in Martial Arts is about 20,000; in communities, gyms and so on. I think there’s a lot of room for growth in Singapore, just basing on the 62 talents that showed up at the amateur try-outs. So I don’t think it’s saturated at all.”

On why he chose Singapore as Rebel FC’s base…

“First of all, I’m Singaporean, so it’s easy for me to set up a company. I was born here and I served the army through National Service. With my love for the country inside-out, I felt that it wasn’t being represented in a true sense of what MMA could be. Fighters weren’t pushed to their limits or potential. I thought there wasn’t really a good representation of the fighters here. I honestly feel Singapore can be the hub of MMA in the future, where every fighter would come here to compete at the highest level.”

On how he sees Rebel Fighting Championship in five years…

“Our core goal at Rebel FC is to make Singaporeans as good as the rest of the world. We want them to compete at the UFC level, and make sure they mature to the highest standards possible. We also want to be known for the humanity of how we represent our fighters, and how we care for them.”

On setting up fights and getting the right mix of local and foreign talents…

“We’ve got Takeshi Inoue, a two-time Shooto champion and a DREAM Featherweight contender. And we have Rob Lisita, a Bellator MMA prospect, potential UFC fighter and the best Featherweight out of Australia. Syafiq, of course, is Singapore’s best MMA fighter, and Hwang hails from Korean Top Team, a solid training camp. So in terms of putting on solid professional fights, we’ve got a good mixture of high-level competition, and an undercard with amateur bouts that are filled with talents who will require support from the crowd on fight night.”

Rob Lisita (Phuket Top Team):

On what fans can expect come fight night on December 21…

“Singaporean fans can expect me to live to my nickname. They call me ‘Ruthless’ for a reason, and I’ll show no mercy in there. I’m coming to win. Expect to see a lot of violence.”

On Inoue being a stern test in his career…

“I’ve had a bunch of big tests in my life and in my career as well. I’ve dealt with them alright. I’ll fight the same way I fight every fight. I don’t have game plans, my game plan is to win. I’ll be aggressive, I’ll push the pace and make it a dog fight. I’m really excited about fighting Inoue, a fighter that I like. I like watching him, I like his style and it’s going to be good.”

On the chances of seeing more Australian guys fighting in Asian competitions…

“In Australia we’ve got organizations, and we’ve got good fighters. I’ve fought a bunch of high-level guys and Asian fighters and to be honest with you, as far as other Australians competing in Rebel FC, I don’t care. As long as I’m here, that’s all that matters. I can’t talk for anyone else, I’m going to talk for myself.”

Takeshi Inoue (Shooting Gym Yokohama):

On his first fight outside of his native homeland, Japan…

“It’s my first fight outside of Japan and I’m definitely looking to win and bring back the victory to my home country. I’d like to thank Justin Leong and Rebel Fighting Championship for giving me this opportunity.”

On how his fight with Rob Lisita will unfold…

“I would like to knock Rob down and finish the fight. That would be ideal. But, with Rob’s strong appearance, he’s a tough guy and it may not be as easy as it seems. I’ll try my best. I don’t think he’s a powerful fighter, so in order to compliment his weaknesses, I’ve a lot of techniques that I will use to try and finish the fight.”

Gyo Pyung Hwang (Korean Top Team):

On fighting in Singapore…

“First of all, I liked the first impression I had of Singapore. It’s my first competition in Singapore, and I would like it to be an impressive one. Even though it’s my first visit to this country, I’m not really nervous at all.”

On Korean fighters being a hit in the Asian MMA scene…

“There’s huge potential for Korean fighters given the number of teams Korea has. So when you compare other cities with Korea in the Asian market, it’s pretty good, actually.

On training with Korean Top Team with the likes of Chan Sung Jung among many others…

“As a young fighter, I follow instructions given by the bigger, well-known Korean fighters there and I’ve been given a lot of intense training for this competition.”

Syafiq Samad (Juggernaut Fight Club):

On his development as a fighter since his amateur days…

“I’ve definitely improved in all disciplines and I’ve been training hard ever since I was introduced to this sport. I’ve put in all the hard work in terms of everything be it Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling or anything else. I’ve also learned that it’s about the journey and not the destination, and you’ve got to keep improving as a fighter every day. I’m certainly looking to polish my skills even further, that’s for sure.”

On dealing with expectations and pressure that comes with fighting on home soil…

“There’s always pressure before fights. It’s natural to feel anxious but I’ve fought many times at an amateur level, and I try to use that experience. The pressure certainly builds up with more fights, but I take it one step at a time. I’m training hard for this fight and I’ve had a good diet and everything. I feel good, I’m ready to go and I’m excited. I can’t wait to show what Singaporeans can do and prove that we can compete with the best in the world as well. I would like to set the benchmark for all aspiring Singaporean fighters.”

“If you’re not nervous, there’s something wrong with you. You’ve got to embrace your nervousness, and embrace your fear. I’ll be making my debut in my hometown, and to all Singaporeans who will be supporting me, I’ll do my best. I know Gyo’s a very good opponent, he’s fought tough guys before. It’s a step up for me and a test to see where I’m at. I want to show that Singaporeans can kick some ass!”

Check out this exclusive array of pictures that were taken during the press conference, below:

Pictures credit: Sigmund Seah, Rebel Fighting Championship

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