Muhammad Imran to showcase his determination in ONE debut

Pakistani flyweight Muhammad “The Spider” Imran will make his ONE Championship debut at ONE: KINGS OF COURAGE on 20 January.

The 26-year-old says he’s prepared to put in the hard work needed to be a success after being given some sage advice by his father during his childhood..

“He said: ‘Whatever work you do, do it with honesty and put your heart into it,’” Imran explained.

Those words weren’t just lip service to his son, either. Imran’s father embodied those words in his own actions, as he was struck down with polio as a teenager and had to battle severe adversity after losing the use of his legs.

“He became handicapped at the age of 16, and he spent the next one to two years at home,” Imran explained.

“But after that, he learned tailoring, and before marriage, he worked as a tailor.”

Tragically, Imran lost his father after a battle with cancer, leaving a family without a father figure and a source of income. With Imran being the youngest of eight children, it was a tough situation, but the family battled back.

“When my father died, we were in a poor condition, but my brothers did manual labour, and we managed,” Imran recalled.

“During these times, our landlord also supported us. Gradually, my brothers were able to make our living conditions better.”

With his older brothers working hard to bring money into the family, Imran was able to continue his education, but he ended up inspired by one of his brothers in a different way, as he explained.

“My older brother, Muhammad Shahid, used to do martial arts,” he said.

“When I was young, I used to watch him go to the club. But at that time, I was too young.

“When I turned 10, he asked me to join his martial arts gym, and I came here (to Pakido Martial Arts Club) with him. I liked it, so I joined as well.”

With the family struggling for money, Imran was unable to pay for lessons at Pakido, but after recognising Imran and his brother’s passion for martial arts and their commitment to training, their coach offered them scholarships to teach them for free. To this day Imran still doesn’t pay for lessons - at his coach’s insistence.

“Pakido Gym is like a family,” Imran said.

“Our teacher used to come here every two months from overseas, and spent a lot of money on this. He would set up camps for up to three months just to train us. So, he also made lots of effort.

“Other than that, this place has helped me a lot. Even though I worked hard, I felt that I wanted to become a good martial artist, and this is my reason for becoming an athlete in this field.”

Imran turned pro in June 2011 and has made an impressive start to his martial arts career, compiling a record of five wins, one loss. He’s won a national championship in Pakistan, and now has the opportunity to take his career to a new level with ONE Championship.

“The Spider” has been matched against undefeated Indonesian star Stefer Rahardian (7-0), who will be competing in front of his hometown fans in Jakarta when the pair meet on 20 January.

Imran is under no illusions about the step up in class facing him, but says he has the skills to spring a shock and claim a debut victory.

“He is the best grappler I have ever faced, and he has a brown belt in BJJ. But I am the top grappler in Pakistan,” Imran said.

“However, I am trying to focus most on my striking, so that if he transitions into grappling I can counter him. Not in grappling, but by standing up and striking.

“I will say this to Stefer: do not take me lightly. I am a good grappler, just like him. I will give him a good match.”

Imran may have faced problems during his early years, but they’ve helped shape him as a character. Now, as a man with mental strength to match his physical attributes, he’s ready to make an impact on the big stage.

“All the problems that I have, they do worry me, but my heart is content because of the work I do. This makes me strong, and I stand up against all the problems I face,” he declared.

“All the problems that I could not solve, I gave my best to overcome. I try to give my 100 percent to make things better, whether it is training or competing, so that my name as a champion becomes well-known not only in my country, but in the whole world as well.”