Swiss MMA Prodigy Maurice Abévi Aims to Become the Roger Federer of Martial Arts at ONE Fight Night 61

When Maurice Abévi walks into the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on Saturday night, thousands of fans will cheer him on. The Swiss martial artist is part of the “ONE Championship”, one of the biggest martial arts organizations in the world, and is participating in ONE Fight Night 22 in Thailand.

The 24-year-old has been living in Thailand for over a year now and has turned his hobby into a career – he is an MMA professional. One reason for his emigration: In Thailand, MMA, like Muay Thai, is almost a religion, and the cost of living is much lower. “I have a full professional life and I can live off the fee and the sponsors. It’s not luxurious, but good,” Abévi explains to 20 minutes.

However, the decision to leave was not easy. Especially to those around him: “I miss everyone. They will miss me too. But I have to live my dream,” said the young fighter. They would wish him success and they would know that he has big plans. “That’s the price you have to pay,” he analysed.

Moving to Thailand was important for his career. Zurich resident: “I have grown a lot as a fighter and a person.” Every day he has a strict plan to get better. This also includes meditation and journaling. “I write down what I’ve learned every day. ” He used to be a very motivated fighter, but now he can focus much better. “I’ve become more relaxed and I’ve dealt with myself more.”

A very strong opponent awaits Abévi on Saturday – the Chinese Zhang Lipeng, who has also fought in the UFC, the highest MMA class. The 24-year-old man from Zurich is supported by his brother and also some people from Switzerland who live in Thailand.

This is the third fight for the Swiss in the “Onefc”. So far there has been one loss and one win – this one by technical knockout in the first round. This makes the fight on Saturday afternoon (local time) in Thailand even more important. Because: Abévi has a goal, he wants to get into the UFC. “I want to become a martial arts Federation,” he says with confidence. But to do this he must first overcome the Chinese.