Skip to main content

Martin Nguyen sacrifices Christmas family time in pursuit of future title shot

By


Sacrifice means to give up something cherished in order to get something even more valuable in the future. This concept also applies to mixed martial arts (MMA) as the path to becoming a world champion is paved with much sacrifice.

To set foot on the pinnacle of success, all fighters must go through blood, sweat and tears in training. Moreover, MMA athletes have to be separated from their families for months to dedicate their lives to the craft that they seek to perfect.

Australian standout Martin Nguyen (7-1) had to undergo the same process as he is slated to square off with former featherweight title contender Kazunori Yokota (25-6-3) in the co-headliner of ONE: QUEST FOR POWER on 14 January.

“The life of a fighter is difficult, but I understand that in order to be the best, fighters have to make certain sacrifices. Spending time away from friends and family to train isn’t easy,” Nguyen said.

For his high-profile bout against Yokota, Nguyen had to give up spending Christmas and the rest of the Yuletide season with his family to fully focus on his training.

Nguyen admitted the most painful sacrifice is the separation from his family, but he knows that there is a reward waiting for him.


“It’s part of being a professional fighter. A lot of sacrifices have been made. Training in December is one of them. I have to give up Christmas celebrations for this fight,” he stated.

“If I want to consider myself as a championship-quality fighter, I have to make that sacrifice. In the end, I will reap the fruits of my labor. Hard work cannot be denied forever,” Nguyen added.

The 27-year-old Australian prospect believes that a win over Yokota will earn him a date with Marat Gafurov for the ONE Featherweight World Championship belt.

“I think a win over Yokota should solidify my position for a title shot. To clarify, I am not in a hurry. I will let my bosses decide because they have the final say for that matter. If they will give me a shot at the ONE Featherweight World Championship title, I am ready to suit up,” Nguyen declared.

Both men are no strangers to Gafurov. Nguyen fell short to the highly-touted Russian combatant for the interim title in September 2015, while Yokota unsuccessfully challenged Gafurov this past May.

Nguyen sees himself in a must-win scenario as the winner of the marquee match-up might get a rematch with Gafurov in 2017.

“My mindset is the same every fight. Everyone is a title challenger, and everyone is capable of becoming a champion. It’s just a matter of who wants it more. I’m ready to put everything on the line to win this fight,” he said.

​​For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 118+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, Esporte Interativo and more.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

First 116KM Community Run in the Philippines Logs 3.5 Million Steps to Champion Children’s Right to Safe Play

By
Manila, Philippines, 24 June 2025 – More than 3.5 million steps and over 2,500 collective kilometers were logged during the Move for Play: Infinity 116KM Run, the country’s first-ever open-road ultra-endurance community run. Organized by the non-profit organization  FundLife , the event held from June 14 to 15 brought runners from Clark to Makati in a call to action for safe, inclusive, and accessible play spaces for children in under-resourced communities. The run coincided with the United Nations International Day of Play and was conducted on active roads and highways, requiring participants to navigate traffic, potholes, heat, and city congestion. The 116-kilometer route symbolized the difficult and often dangerous terrain many Filipino children must cross daily to access education and recreation. A total of 31 ultra-runners registered to complete the full route, while over 40 additional runners joined for various segments. 20 completed the entire cour...
Post a Comment
Read more

“A Force of Four in Year 4”: Vermosa Green Run champions fitness, sustainability, youth sports, and animal welfare in 2025

By
The Green Run at Vermosa is back for the fourth consecutive time this June with a renewed commitment to fitness, environmental sustainability, animal welfare and youth sports development. Entitled Vermosa Green Run 2025: A Force of Four in Year 4, it will be off and running on Sunday, June 29, 2025 at the Vermosa Estate in Imus, Cavite. This year, Ayala Land’s flagship multi-level running event launches a Plastic Donation and Collection Drive alongside its 3K, 5K, 10K, and 21K road races. All participants are encouraged to bring used plastics that will be recycled and repurposed by Ayala Land Estates Inc. and Makati Development Corporation (MDC). The plastic waste will be transformed into sustainable construction materials, concrete aggregates and other tools to build sidewalks and fences that will contribute to Ayala Land’s green development initiatives. Those who donate get a discounted rate on their Green Run registration. Coming back  for the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Staying Active Together: Herbalife Run Club Marks Global Running Day with 45-Day Challenge

By
MANILA, 13 June 2025 –  In celebration of Global Running Day, Herbalife, a premier health and wellness company, community, and platform, is making fitness more engaging and sustainable through the Herbalife Run Club. Designed to foster motivation and connection, the club brings together employees and distributors in a supportive environment where they can pursue their fitness goals while building meaningful relationships with like-minded individuals. The club also recently introduced a 45-day challenge in April as part of Herbalife FLEX45 Challenge. The challenge, a global initiative to mark Herbalife’s 45th anniversary, is a 45-day program focused on health, fitness, and personal development, encouraging participants to make positive changes in their lifestyle. In the Philippines, participants are encouraged to run or walk at least 5km a day, totalling 225km by the end of the 45-day challenge. The challenge culminated just before the Global Running Day, with over 20...
Post a Comment
Read more