The best from Brunei reigned supreme in two hard-fought wins at ONE Warrior Series 5 on Thursday, at Singapore. The event featured a diverse number of unique and talented athletes across the globe who were given the opportunity to fight under the premier banner of ONE Championship.
This isn’t the first time that Brunei has tasted victory on the growing international stage before, either. Not too long ago, Adib Sulaiman demonstrated Brunei’s technical skills to the world, and it would seem that history would repeat itself once more, this time in the forms of local strawweight Mohamad Norhidayat and lightweight Ahmed ‘Easy’ Faez who both won by submissions in the first and second rounds respectively.
Mohamad Norhidayat 
Ahmed ‘Easy’ Faez
Norhidayat brought the end to the first round with a smooth transition to a head and arm triangle choke, while Faez found an armbar against his heavy-hitting opponent in the second round of his bout, with both fighters displaying stunning submission skills.
Demetrious Johnson, former 11 time UFC Champion. Photo credit to:
Esther Lin/MMA Fighting
All this was possible thanks to ONE Championship, one of the largest mixed martial arts organisations based in Asia, but open to the world. Notable fighters including world’s most feared muay thai fighter test their fists in ONE, along with a pound-for-pound former UFC Champion who was considered to be the greatest of all time.
It’s safe to say that if one of Brunei’s own made their way onto the already stacked stable of absolute greats, the little country would forever cement itself within the minds of the world as not only being an ‘Abode of Peace’ but also an ‘Abode of Peace & Potential’.
So what’s next? Only time will tell. Small steps first. It isn’t just MMA that’s growing, but also kickboxing and boxing bouts that have provided local fighters with opportunities and experience that have proven invaluable in the development of fighters as hopeful symbols of Brunei’s progress as a budding nation.
Brunei has always been responsible for nurturing potential fighters, and the fruits of these efforts are finally beginning to command attention. Whether on the local or the world stage, the following statement should be taken note of: Brunei breeds brawlers.
The Equinox 