Home is where the fight is
Singaporean MMA prodigy Amir Khan returns home to pursue his dream of becoming an MMA world champion with the help of the prestigious Evolve Fight Team.
At the age of 19, most young men in Singapore are training hard in preparation for the rigors of enlisting in the Singapore Armed Forces. But for the fresh-faced Amir Khan, training has much bigger implications because the young martial artist has a far bigger goal in mind – to become Singapore’s first MMA world champion.
The newest addition to the prestigious Evolve Fight Team, Khan made his professional Muay Thai debut at the tender age of 13 and continued competing in Muay Thai and MMA through his teenage years.
Moving to the USA at the age of 15 in search of fight opportunities, he subsequently picked up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and wrestling, equipping himself with all the skills needed to succeed in the mixed martial arts scene.
MMA Insider spoke to him and his father, Ansari Khan, 55, a retired mechanical engineer, who has been with Amir each step of the way.
“I brought my son to the US when he was only 15 to pursue his love for MMA and to finish his high school there at the same time. I believe in being there for my son in whatever he chooses to do and support him all the way,” Ansari said.
With MMA exploding in his homeland and across Asia, the Khans decided it was time to move back to Singapore to allow Amir pursue a career in the rapidly developing scene here.
After a two-week tryout with the Evolve Fight Team, the young fighter took a gigantic step towards his goal as he became only the third Singaporean to ever be invited to join Asia's top ranked professional fight team.
“It is a dream come true for Amir to be accepted as part of the Evolve Fight Team. I was there each day with him for two weeks and we both loved what we saw in Evolve MMA. I believe they have everything necessary – world champion trainers, coaches and world class facilities – to provide Amir the proper guidance to become an MMA world champion,” said Ansari.
For Amir, the prospect of fighting alongside the renowned professional fight team was a huge honor he did not expect.
“I was so nervous about what the verdict would be after my two-week tryout with the fight team. They have a whole team of world champions who have so much to teach me and I just felt it would be a great honor if I could train with them,” he told MMA Insider.
But his perseverance paid off when the CEO of Evolve MMA, Chatri Sityodtong, approached him with good news at the end of the two-week trial.
“When Chatri finally came up to my dad and I to tell us that I had been accepted into the fight team, I was so relieved! I wanted it very badly,” said Amir.
There to assess Amir’s progress on a daily basis was the Head Coach of the Evolve Fight Team Heath Sims.
“We invited Amir onto the Evolve Fight Team after he trained with us for the last two weeks. This kid is special. With our team of world champions, fighters, and elite coaches here at Evolve MMA, Amir has a serious shot at becoming Singapore’s first MMA world champion,” Sims said confidently.
Having represented his high school, Loyola College Prep, in wrestling while in the US and earning a 4-0 amateur MMA record, Amir is no stranger to the spirit of competition. But soon, he will face a step up in competition unlike anything he has experienced so far when he makes his debut on Asia’s largest mixed martial arts promotion, ONE Fighting Championship.
Though no date has been set for his debut in the ONE FC cage, Amir says he will be putting his heart and soul into training as he prepares to wave the Singapore flag high on the international stage of MMA soon.
