Playing by his rule
From troubled childhood to the headiness of the fight cage, the unpredictability of Mohammed ‘Jordan Boy’ Mahmoud is what makes him so intriguing, writes
“JANGAN senyum. Cuba nampak moody sikit (Don’t smile. Look a bit moodier),” barks the petite NST photographer, Adibah, to the 175cm tall, good-looking athlete with a striking thatch of ash-blond hair in front of her.
Lounging casually against the chillired walls of the Sampuri Muay Thai gym in Ampang, Selangor, Mohammed ‘Jordan Boy’ Mahmoud, barely able to contain his grin, acquiesces, and attempts another pose. This time, more GQ than boy-nextdoor.
Finally appeased, Adibah shows him a thumbs-up sign and the clicking of the shutters commences again, piercing the calm like bullets being fired.
From my perch by the ring, I couldn’t help but smile, thinking just how swiftly this half Jordanian/half Malaysian Muay Thai sensation seems to have bounced back from that sad, balmy Manila night just weeks before where I’d last met him.
Then, dejection and sadness were his cloak and lingering on his tongue, the bitter taste of defeat.
Having just arrived in the Philippines capital for ONE Championship’s (the world’s largest martial arts organisation) ONE: Hero’s Ascent showcase on the crest of a jubilant wave (after a sensational
ONE Super Series debut, defeating Greek dynamite, Stergos Mikkios the previous month at the ONE: Destiny of Champions event in Kuala Lumpur), Team Jordan Boy had been in buoyant mood, relishing the prospect of claiming yet another scalp in the form of 34-year-old Japanese fighter, Hiroaki Suzuki in a Muay Thai bout in the bantamweight division.
But it wasn’t to be and after two minutes and 53 seconds in the third round of their much anticipated clash, the referee put a stop to the contest. The split decision defeat was agonising not only for the up-andcoming Malaysian sensation, but also his biggest supporter — his father, Mahmoud Omar.
In a modest room reserved for the athletes, I’d found the Malaysian, looking forlorn and contemplative, slumped against a chair; his elder brother and fellow Muay Thai fighter, Nidal, was mere metres away.
My arrival was greeted with a watery smile. We talked and tears fell freely, but somehow I knew that this wouldn’t be the last I’d hear of this flamboyant fighter.
Fast forward to today, and there’s no sign of that dejected athlete. Clad in a fiery red and black top over a stylish pair of jeans, the soon-to-be 23-year-old looks relaxed and suitably pumped.