Gianni Subba. ( Courtesy of ONE Championship)
I
ndonesia and Malaysia may have a longstanding sporting rivalry, but Malaysian Gianni Subba is aiming to help his archipelagic neighbor nation produce its first mixed martial arts (MMA) World Champion.
Three months ago, the 29-year-old ONE Championship fighter cofounded SOMA Fight Club Bali alongside veteran striking coach Mike Ikilei and entrepreneur Adam McAsey to invite some of the best martial artists from around the world, all in a quest to unearth and nurture the best fighting talent in Indonesia.
“Our biggest mission when we opened this place was to cater to the locals. We want to grow the community. We want to grow the scene of combat sports, martial arts, mixed martial arts, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, everything here in Indonesia,” Subba said.
“We want to be a part of that, and I think a good start is helping Paul – one of the athletes representing Indonesia – to fight on the world stage [at the ONE Championship]. I think it is a good start for us,” he added, referring to the fight of Paul Lumihi against Jhanlo Mark Sangiao in ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II, which will be broadcast this Friday.
Martial arts communities have grown rapidly in Indonesia, and fans are longing for the first ever World Champion from the country.
In the last couple of years, there have been a number of Indonesian national champions from various disciplines to appear on ONE’s global stage, vying for sporting supremacy. However, the world’s largest archipelagic country has yet to see its first gold in ONE.
Subba sees this as an opportunity, as he believes that Indonesia has the potential to achieve that goal. He hopes his efforts can propel the nation toward international glory.
“I think Indonesia is fairly young in terms of mixed martial arts. Growing with ONE Championship, we have stars like Stefer [Rahardian], Pitu [Elipitua Siregar], Priscilla [Lumban Gaol] and all these guys who are coming up, such as Adrian [Mattheis]. Obviously, OnePride has been a great platform for all Indonesian athletes to compete and get better, before gaining opportunities to fight on the world stage like at the ONE Championship,” Subba said.
“So, it is growing, but I think there are still so many ways for Indonesian athletes to reach the top. MMA is still a bit behind wrestling and grappling; Indonesia has a great base in wushu – which is great and high-level – where they are very competitive here in Indonesia, but it’s just [a matter of] time,” he added.
Gianni Subba. ( Courtesy of ONE Championship/.)
With over a decade of experience in combat sports, Subba knows that creating a champion will not be an easy task, but with the presence of a global platform like ONE Championship and grassroots competitions to discover hidden talent, the flyweight star believes Indonesia can become a powerhouse in the near future.
“Obviously, that will be the highest goal. The greatest goal for us is to have a locally grown talent reach the pinnacle of the sport within a world championship, but it is going to take time. We are not going to say we will do it in a year, or in two years. We are going to take some time because we have the ability,” he said.
“We have worked with world champions, we have worked with guys that are high level, and we know what it takes to get there. But we also need a mixture of all these different elements. You need an athlete who is willing to give everything, you need coaches who have the knowledge, you need partners who are at high levels so they can push you but not hurt you.”
“If this is about creating a World Champion, we will find our recipe, I think we have the staff and personnel to do it, but it will take some time. I’m confident in our ability to do that,” he said.
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This article was written in collaboration with ONE Championship.