MMA: Tiffany Teo to fight 2nd One Championship bout in Kuala Lumpur against Priscilla Hertati

MMA fighter Tiffany Teo (left) will take on Indonesian Priscilla Hertati at the One Championship event in KL on Feb 10. ST PHOTO: DON CHI

SINGAPORE - Singapore mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Tiffany Teo's next bout will take place at the One Championship event in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 10, as she is taking on Indonesian fighter Priscilla Hertati, a 28-year-old debutant who is a national sanda champion in wushu.

Facing the southpaw will be a new challenge for Teo, due to her unfamilarity with facing left-handed fighters, but she insists that she will not be allowing her opponent to use that to her advantage.

Teo noted: "My strategy will be different. I've been working on my footwork during my training sessions and I've got to fight to my left side.

"Usually, I would circle to the right side, but if I do that, I might be walking into her (more powerful) left hand."

In spite of all the preparation work she could do before the fight, Teo admitted that it will be hard to read her opponent's game ahead of the bout.

She noted that Hertati had shown contrasting fighting styles when she fought two of Teo's friends previously, one of them being her training partner and boxer Nurshahidah Roslie.

"She's like a wildcard, I don't really know what to expect on that day because she might change her fighting style," she said.

Outside the ring, her workload in her day job as a behavioural therapist is getting heavier. This year, she meets three more students, which adds from 10 to 15 hours in a week to her schedule.

Despite having to miss a few morning training sessions, the additional workload has not hindered her MMA ambitions.

Lalwani observed: "Of course after going through a day of work, she would be tired. But she's got a good mental attitude like a champion who bites the bullet. And she's got the heart of a champion.

"In fact, she comes in, she's working even harder than before, and I see that she's more intense and puts in more effort. I'm confident she can win the fight."

The "Throne of Tigers" One Championship event in KL will be headlined by Malaysia's Ev Ting fighting for the lightweight crown with veteran Kamal Shalorus.

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