MMA queen Ann hangs up her gloves

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s mixed martial arts (MMA) queen Ann “Athena” Osman’s love and passion for the sport will see her continue to be involved in the industry despite her retirement.

The 31-year-old Sabahan has decided to hang up her gloves with a 5-4 professional record after four sensational years in the cage, which saw her become an icon for all Malaysians.

Ann said she decided to quit the sport to explore opportunities outside the cage and was looking forward to giving back to the sport now that she’ll be joining the ONE Championship’s Athlete Relations and Development department.

“My fight contract with ONE was expiring and I gave a lot of thought to my future plans. I had four to five amazing years fighting in the ONE cage but I want to explore other opportunities, including focusing on expanding my businesses,” said Ann, who owns a gym and a recreational adventure company in Sabah.

“After informing ONE about my decision, their vice-president of operations and competition Matt Hume offered me to join their Athlete Relations and Development department. It seems like an interesting opportunity as I’ll still be able to be part of the sport and the industry.

“I have signed the papers and will be reporting for duty soon. I’m looking forward to discovering and signing new talents.”

Ann began her pro career with a loss to Singapore’s Sherilyn Lim via unanimous decision in 2013 but bounced back to go on a three-match winning streak.

She made her name as the Malaysian MMA queen with wins over former World Boxing champion Ana Julaton of the United States and Egyptians Aya Saber (2014) and Walaa Abbas (2015).

Ann suffered her first home defeat at the hands of Russian Irina Mazepa on Oct 9, 2015 but bounced back to beat Egypt’s Haiat Farag Youssef on July 2, 2016. She then suffered her second home loss to Filipina April Osenio on Sept 2, 2016.

The Kota Kinabalu local then bounced back with a win over Cambodia’s Vy Srey Khouch at the ONE Championships Throne of Tigers bout on home ground on Feb 10.

Then came her fourth career loss – to May Ooi on Aug 18.

Looking back, Ann said that she had a “life-changing experience in the cage”.

“I will never trade it for anything else. The experience I have gained as a professional fighter ... getting my hand raised after winning a fight ... is something I’ll never forget,” said Ann.