Hisyam “Zephyrus” Samsudin, 27, of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia experienced major success in the sport of boxing in February 2016. He replaced an injured Thai athlete in a four-man tourney in Singapore to determine the World Boxing Federation (WBF) Asia-Pacific light heavyweight champion.

Despite being several kilograms underweight, Samsudin won the whole tournament, becoming the first Malaysian to hold a WBF title. He remembered, “My parents, especially my father, were really nervous at that time.”

“I am glad that I came home unharmed and as a champion,” Samsudin recalled.  “I celebrated with my family, friends and teammates when I got back. It was such a memorable moment.”

After capturing the WBF Asia-Pacific light heavyweight belt, Samsudin elected to hang up his boxing gloves and turned his attention to the ONE Championship cage. As a mixed martial arts competitor, he holds a professional record of 2-2 with a pair of wins by way of knockout and submission.

In Samsudin’s second outing as a ONE Championship athlete, he defeated Jeremy “The Predator” Meciaz, 26, of Indonesia at “ONE: Total Victory”. The Malaysian fighter dedicated his triumph to his father, who passed away just 24 hours prior to the bout.

Samsudin came on strong and weathered the storm, strutting his wares in front of a partisan crowd and with the passing of his father at the back of his mind. He recalled, “I was ready to throw in the towel but my family gave me the motivation and the drive to enter the cage.”

“Even though my father is gone, I still have them,” Samsudin stated. “My friends and family are now the source of my strength.”

On March 24, 2018, Samsudin will have his third ONE Championship bout facing “The Terminator” Sunoto of Indonesia in Bangkok, Thailand at “ONE: Iron Will”. It will be headlined by ONE Featherweight and Lightweight World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen, 29, of Vietnam and ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes, 37, of Brazil.

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Facing the South China Sea against a backdrop of dense rainforests, Kota Kinabalu serves as the vibrant capital of Sabah, Malaysia. Affectionately called “KK” by locals, this coastal city offers a rich blend of cultural heritage and exceptional biodiversity, acting as the primary gateway to the island of Borneo.

The city’s roots trace back to a late-19th-century British colonial settlement known as Jesselton. Though heavily damaged during World War II, the town persevered, officially taking the name Kota Kinabalu in 1967 to honor Mount Kinabalu—the sacred, towering peak visible to the east that achieved UNESCO World Heritage status in 2000.

Among its oldest surviving architectural landmarks is the wooden Atkinson Clock Tower, built in 1905. The city’s modern spiritual identity is beautifully captured by the iconic Kota Kinabalu City Mosque, an Arabic-inspired “floating” structure opened in 2000 that sits surrounded by a tranquil coastal lagoon. Just a short speedboat ride from the bustling downtown ports lies the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, established in 1974. This protected sanctuary encompasses five tropical islands famous for pristine coral reefs and white sand beaches, preserving a timeless natural paradise.