At just 19 years of age, Benedict Ang has the mixed martial arts (MMA) world at his feet and after running up a 6-0 amateur record, the Singaporean made his professional debut at ONE: "Warrior's Quest" last Friday night in Singapore.
The Evolve MMA standout got his professional career off to the best possible start with a hard-fought decision win over five-fight veteran Waqar Umar and says he enjoyed the experience of fighting in front of a sold-out crowd at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
"It feels great to make my ONE debut, especially here in Singapore right in front of my family, my friends, and my fellow Singaporeans. I had a lot of fun in there, I am happy I got the win, but there's definitely things I would want to work and improve on when I get back to training."
If Ang was nervous he didn't let it show. The teenager looked calm and relaxed as he made his way into the ONE cage for the first time and he says there was never any danger of allowing himself to be overwhelmed by the scale of the occasion.
"I didn't feel nervous because I was well prepared by all the world champions at Evolve MMA who have fought for titles in boxing or Muay Thai or BJJ many times and shared their experience with me and gave me lots of advice. I was just looking forward to going in and putting on a good performance."
While Ang had plenty of experience in his corner, the fight still represented a first taste of professional competition and he says he is happy to have got three rounds under his belt.
"I will definitely benefit from this experience and to be honest, this is the first time I've felt so comfortable in a fight. I'm looking to improve every day and bring something new the next time I fight again. And with the team I have behind my back every single day at Evolve MMA, I'm sure you will see an improved version of myself in my next fight."
ONE: "Warrior's Quest" was headlined by a lightweight title bout between Shinya Aoki and Koji Ando and Ang found himself sharing a fight card with some of the biggest names on the roster. Although he is already a veteran in amateur terms, he says nothing could have prepared him for the experience of walking out into one of the largest indoor arenas in the region.
"The support coming from 12,000 passionate, screaming fans really sets the mood. It's a tremendous feeling to walk down to ramp and see and hear the crowd cheering for you. It definitely spurred me on knowing my nation is supporting me. I'll do my best to make them proud."
Ang might have inflicted a third successive defeat on Umar, but the Pakistani pushed him all the way and showcased some decent striking and a solid submission game. However, the teenager was able to control the action against a more experienced opponent from start to finish and feels he successfully implemented the pre-fight strategy.
"The game plan was to pressure him and mix things up, and I think it went well."
Singaporean MMA fans have witnessed a few false dawns with fighters rising to prominence -- only to disappear abruptly from the scene -- but as the youngest member of the Evolve MMA fight team, Ang is receiving expert guidance from a highly-experienced group of decorated champions and former champions.
His career got off to the best possible start with a combined seven wins out of seven in amateur and professional competition, but fighting is not Ang's sole priority and the 19 year old says he might have to put his competitive MMA career on the back burner for a few months.
"I'll definitely still continue training, but I'll have to prioritize slightly towards school as my exams are coming up."
With established stars like Jadamba Narungungalag, Marat Gafurov, and Eric Kelly in ONE Championship's 145-pound division, Ang has a long way to go to fullfill his dream of becoming a champion, but time is certainly on the Singaporean's side and his first professional win is unlikely to be his last.