Dubai: Malaysian mixed martial arts (MMA) straw-weight Ann Osman will become the first Muslim female to fight professionally in an Islamic country when she takes on Ana Julaton of the Philippines in the One Fighting Championship’s (One FC) “Reign of Champions” at Dubai World Trade Centre on August 29.
Osman, 28, of the Borneo Tribal Squad, was meant to make the breakthrough on home soil in Kuala Lumpur in March in a rematch with Singapore’s Sherilyn Lim, but the fight was cancelled after Lim missed her weight.
Lim had earlier beaten Osman on split decision in both their respective One FC debuts last October in Singapore.
But now Osman, whose background is predominantly in muay thai, is expected to make history in Dubai later this month after stepping in against Julaton as a last-minute replacement for the injured Irina Mazepa of Russia.
“Initially when I took up MMA, I never actually thought about how being a Muslim woman mattered with my involvement in the sport,” Osman told Gulf News, in an exclusive interview.
“But after making my MMA debut, and receiving words of encouragement and messages from fellow Muslim friends on how it has inspired them too, then only I realised what I have actually been doing.”
She continued: “[Being a] role model is a big thing for me. I am just happy doing what I love, which is training and competing in MMA. I am honoured if my involvement in this sport can inspire other women, Muslim or non-Muslim, to do what they love.
“Whether it’s MMA or anything else they dream of doing, maybe they thought it was impossible before, or maybe people told them or they told themselves it couldn’t be done. I hope that, through my involvement in MMA, other women will also believe in themselves to follow and achieve their dreams.”
“I do appreciate being dubbed ‘the first Muslim female to fight in an Islamic country,’ but ultimately I appreciate everyone’s support and appreciation in what I do as an athlete.”
Osman will have to go up a weight division to bantamweight to fight the more experienced Julaton, 34, who won her One FC debut against Egypt’s Aya Saeed Saber in Manila, the capital of the, Philippines, in May.
Stepping in to fight late also makes her all the more of an underdog against the former World Boxing Organisation (WBO) and International Boxing Association (IBA) Super Bantamweight World Champion.
“We do have a shorter time frame to work with than usual but we make the best with what we have right now in order to get ready for the fight,” she added. “It is a heavier weight division than I’m used to, but I am prepared to step out of my comfort zone and I am really eager to get back inside the One FC cage.
“I have a high respect for Ana as she has an extensive experience and record in MMA, particularly boxing, however, this does not deter my confidence in getting the win in this fight. Ana definitely has a solid background, however, in MMA, there is so much more than just striking. It is an unpredictable sport and this is what makes it exciting.”
A first defeat to Lim and the inability to quickly avenge that loss has made Osman all the more determined to succeed against Julaton.
“Having to accept defeat on my debut and then having my last fight cancelled, I was definitely disappointed as I had trained hard and there was a lot of time and effort put into the fight, not only by myself, but also from my teammates, coach, sponsors, family and friends.
“Accepting losses and setbacks is part of the sport — we must learn and grow from them, moving forward as even stronger people and fighters. These experiences have just made me even more motivated to train harder than usual and get the win this time.”
Training for this fight, however, coincided with Ramadan and for Osman that has only intensified the challenge ahead.
“We fast every year and I do not deny it can be challenging to train when you are not eating anything or drinking any water — plus we are in the tropics, so it is hot.
“However, learning to overcome challenges and temptations is one of the purposes of fasting in Ramadan. It definitely helps to build will power.
“We did make some slight adjustments to our training schedule. It didn’t affect my training or fitness that much as we training near the time of breaking fast [Iftar and Suhoor].
“After a light snack and water during break fast [Iftar], we continued to train in the gym as usual. Training during Ramadan builds strength both mentally and physically and it is an experience I appreciate and one which humbles me.”
While some might see the sport as being at odds with her religion, Osman thinks it’s quite the opposite.
“Since training in MMA, I have gained and learned so much, not just about fighting but also other values such as hard work, patience, courage, perseverance and the importance of respect for my fellow teammates, which I believe has made me become a better person both inside and out of the gym.”
