Expo features ex-world's champion Muay Thai, Philippines MMA fighter
LABUAN: The 2nd Series of Borneo Martial Arts Expo (BMaex) 2018 this weekend is expected to draw large crowds, with the former world's muay thai champion and Philippines mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter making their debut in the Labuan's international sports event.
The three-day event from yesterdday till Sunday (Dec 2830), sanctioned by International Sport Kick Boxing (ISKA) Borneo, is jointly organised by Labuan Sport Kickboxing Association (LSKA), Labuan Wushu Association and Borneo Combat Gym (BCG).
The former world's muay thai champion Marco ‘Machine Gun' Tentori is scheduled to face Malaysian Hisham ‘Zephyrus' Samsudin for the ISKA BMAEX 75kg title fight, while the Philippines' Fritz Biagtan to face Malaysian
Mardy”Achok for the BMAEX 57kg title fight.
Organising chairman Tan Chee Haw said the expo had drawn in 250 participants thus far, from China, Australia, the Philippines, Brunei and across Malaysia.
"This year's event too, will feature an unprecedented number of combat sports tournaments to satisfy any martial arts practitioner or enthusiast," he said.
Among the combat tournaments featured on hand at the expo this year include Kick Boxing (K1) for Pro and Amateur categories, Mixed Martial Art (MMA), Forms & Weapons (wushu, silat, taekwondo, capoeira, muay thai) and a Breaking challenge.
"There will be an addition to this event, as we are introducing Chinese Wrestling, Taiji Push Hand, Boxing and Sanda in our line-up of main events.
"Another highlight of the event is the Patterns and Weapons competition where participants will be free to show their creativity and innovative ideas to be combined with their traditional martial art styles – without being bound by the rules," he said.
The sport-tourism event will be capped by live K1 ring fights and MMA fights. Besides these tournaments, a live competition on Forms & Weapons and Breaking will also be showcased.
Founder of B-Maex Alvin Chong said another highlight is a special fight for the people with disability and in boxing rules.
Two young fighters, Hafiy Mutalip of Brunei's 018 MMA will face hometown favourite Aremiah Edmund of BCG Labuan for the JY Trophy.
He said B-Maex is not an ordinary fight event but it is a platform to promote unity through martial arts.
“B-Maex helps promote Labuan as a tourism destination, besides strives to develop talent and education, in this situation, to educate the public on the abilities of the disabled group and educating the disabled group to achieve a goal beyond their physical disabilities," Alvin said.