Malaysian MMA fighter Jihin Radzuan hopes to inspire women, girls, boys

Jihin Radzuan

Over the past decade, women’s mixed martial arts rose from relative obscurity to noticeable heights that many could not fathom in such a short span of time. The once male-dominated sport has been infiltrated by women equipped with equal prowess to engage in high-testosterone action, at times even with more gusto than their male counterparts.

After years of being told that they just were not good enough and that there were not enough girls to form a legitimate bracket, women are finally gracing the biggest platform of the mixed martial arts world. One of the first female MMA stars in Asia is Ann “Athena” Osman, 32, of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Osman hanged her gloves in 2017 after nine ONE Championship bouts but she is now passing the baton to her fellow female Malaysian fighter Jihin “Shadowcat” Radzuan, 19. Recently, the latter talked about her dreams of inspiring other people.

“I just hope to inspire other women or even boys and girls to do what they want to do,” Radzuan said. “Whatever you set your mind to, you can achieve as long as you put in the commitment and work hard.”

Fighting out of Johor Bahru, Malaysia, Radzuan knows what it is like to practice MMA in a country where the sport is not considered something a woman should be doing. She said, “Some people even say I should just stay at home or do another job, but I ignore this kind of people.”

“This is my passion,” Radzuan shared. “I believe it’s great because we are making a difference, especially in Malaysia.

Radzuan continues to open eyes and introduces legions of already passionate enthusiasts to the burgeoning realm of Asian MMA. At the same time, she seeks to exemplify the utmost confidence of a woman in ONE Championship.

On July 13, 2018, Radzuan will compete before her countrymen again. A women’s atomweight bout between her and Priscilla “Thathi” Hertati Lumban Gaol, 30, of Jakarta, Indonesia has been booked for “ONE: Pursuit of Power,” which will take place at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Radzuan’s most recent bout, which was at “ONE: Visions of Victory,” also took place at the Axiata Arena. Here is a recap of the event: