For Martin Nguyen, 2017 has been a year to remember, but it could get even better.
The Vietnamese-Australian featherweight star shocked the world, defeating previously-unbeaten Marat Gafurov in their world title rematch, and captured the ONE Featherweight World Championship.
Now that his momentum has hit top speed, things are moving fast for the man known as “The Situ-Asian” with a huge bout — and a huge opportunity — coming his way in just a few weeks’ time.
Nguyen will compete for the ONE Lightweight World Title when he challenges Eduard “Landslide” Folayang at ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD on 10 November, in a bout that could see him become a historic two-weight world champion.
It’s the pinnacle of a martial arts journey, one that he says has given him so much since he joined KMA Top Team seven years ago to take part in his first class.
“The main thing martial arts has provided me with is discipline, and the values of life — not only through combat sports, but the family values of how people get together, meeting other people, learning their journeys, and experiencing your own,” said the 28-year-old.
“It has helped me a lot through life, and with the support of my wife, this martial arts career has been phenomenal. It has been a great journey so far.”
That journey started when his family left Vietnam to start a new life. They bounced from Malaysia to Indonesia and then to Australia, where th small community that took the life-changing decision to leave finally settled in Liverpool, New South Wales.
The young Nguyen initially took up rugby as his chosen sport, but eventually switched to martial arts after a spell on the sidelines through injury.
He walked through the doors of KMA Top Team and never looked back. For a young man who was a self-confessed “wild child” as a youngster, martial arts not only got him into physical shape, it also knocked off the rough edges of his discipline.
“I started taking up BJJ classes after being a bit overweight, and the discipline through marital arts is on another level, compared to contact sports such as rugby league.”
His fascination with Brazilian jiu-jitsu led to him entering competitions, and experiencing encouraging wins on the mats, before trying his hand at amateur competition, with similar success. It told him everything he needed to know before deciding his next step.
“It was time for me to bring my skills to the cage, and see what I could do.”
What he can do is pretty impressive. Nguyen won his first four bouts and was thrust into a short-notice ONE World Title contest against Gafurov. It proved to be too much, too soon, as he succumbed to Gafurov’s signature rear-naked choke in just 41 seconds.
That loss would have crushed a mentally-weaker athlete, but Nguyen proved he’s made of stronger stuff. He rebounded with four straight wins, all by first-round stoppage, before being pitched into a rematch with Gafurov, this time with a full training camp to prepare.
When he stepped into the cage for the rematch, he was a different martial artist.
After fighting off an early rear-naked choke attempt from the Russian world champion, Nguyen visibly grew in confidence, and knocked out the previously-undefeated titleholder with a devastating overhand right to capture the title. It was a moment he described as “surreal”.
“My wife was there for my match in my promotional debut, and she was in the cage when I got my hand raised after beating Gafurov,” he recalled.
“When I jumped off the cage, I saw my wife, and we had this moment again.”
Now the ONE Featherweight World Champion, Nguyen has the opportunity to become the first two-weight world champion in ONE history with victory over Filipino star Folayang.
If he’s successful, he’ll not only achieve a remarkable personal career landmark, he’ll also help achieve his other goal of being an inspiration to others.
“I want to inspire people,” he explained. “I want them to see the hard work I go through, and if I do end up winning this belt, it all starts from hard work and dedication.
“If you really want something in life, you have to work hard for it. You have to put your head down, set your goals and meet them, and that is what I want to push to the new generation.”
Victory would also help Nguyen campaign for a dream event in the land of his ancestry.
“I would love for ONE to go to Vietnam, not only to motivate other Vietnamese athletes, but just the whole community,” he revealed.
“For someone coming from a large organisation like ONE, I somehow feel I can already serve as motivation to the Vietnamese people over there.”
