SINGAPORE – Mixed martial artist Sim Kai Xiong will get a chance to show his fighting skills on the big stage in May, when he is set to become the first Singaporean to take part in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Road to UFC series.
Sim, an MMA coach, will be going up against Thailand’s Peter Danasoe in a showcase bout in the flyweight category (up to 56.7kg).
The 25-year-old said: “It’s a huge opportunity. I think every aspiring fighter wants to go to the UFC eventually because it’s the biggest promotion in the world.
“It’s a good showcase for me to display my skills and then show them what I’m all about because there are not many Singaporeans who have been on the world stage.”
Road to UFC, a tournament for top Asian prospects, was held in Singapore in 2022. The 2023 series will take place at the UFC Shanghai Performance Institute on May 27 and 28. It features four divisions – flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight – with eight fighters competing in a knockout format for each category.
Winners of each division will earn a contract with UFC. There will also be showcase bouts, one of which Sim will be fighting in, but victors are not guaranteed a deal with the United States-based MMA giant.
Sim initially turned down the offer to compete in the tournament bouts as he did not think it aligned with his goal for the season – improving his 5-0 win-loss record. He plans to add three wins while remaining undefeated in 2023.
He said: “I didn’t want to jump the gun. My end goal is actually to win the championship, not to just be in the UFC.
“I believe there’s quite a clear path for me to get there. I just need to stay on the path, do the right things and not get dragged away by other distractions.
“I know I belong with the best in the world and this is just my first opportunity to show it to people.”
Sim started fighting in 2014 and won his first amateur boxing championship in the same year. Since then, he has transitioned to jiu-jitsu, in which he holds a brown belt.
Describing himself as “a pretty lazy person”, he said his fighting style reflects his personality. He said: “I go with the flow – wherever the fight happens to go, I’m comfortable to be at.
“I also always take the path of least resistance. If I’m facing a person who is better at grappling, I would adopt a more striking heavy approach instead of trying to prove that I am better than what he’s good at.”
For six days a week, he has two training sessions a day and conducts gym classes in the evenings.
To ensure he is well prepared for the fight, Sim headed to Thailand on Thursday with his American coach, Major Overall, to train overseas for the first time. While sparring regularly, he also has to prepare to make the weight for his division.
He hopes his appearance in this fight will help create interest in the local MMA scene and increase its talent pool.
He said: “We are very limited in terms of martial arts training opportunities and hopefully in five to 10 years from now, we’ll have more people like me, like my other competitors as well in the scene.
“We’re not supposed to be anybody, but they don’t know that I’m going to be the best there is. Me competing at this level reflects how Singapore is – small but mighty.”
