Kiwi-Malaysian Ev Ting fine-tuned and eager for redemption at ONE Championship: Quest for Greatness

Ting was on a four-fight win streak before his loss in a title challenge against Eduard Folayang in April.
Ting was on a four-fight win streak before his loss in a title challenge against Eduard Folayang in April. Photo credit: ONE Championship

There's one word that's been ringing through Kiwi Malaysian fighter Ev Ting's head since his valiant title challenge defeat back in April.

Redemption.

The lightweight contender is adamant he's exorcised the ghosts of his title fight loss to Eduard Folayang in April, and now the focus is simply on himself and his own performance as he counts down the hours until his bout against Japanese veteran Nobutatsu Suzuki at ONE Championship: Quest for Greatness in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

This time around, Ting and his team at Auckland MMA have made some tweaks to their approach to training camp, and now they're eager to exhibit the benefits of what he describes simply as a "smarter" preparation for combat.

"A lot of my training camps in the past I've over-trained and tried to just do everything possible to be prepared," Ting told Newshub.

"This time we just really focused on my fight conditioning, monitoring my heart-rate and how much I can really push it and ensuring that I'm peaking for fight night. Drilling the sequences rather than just trying to beat him everywhere."

The adjustments come hand-in-hand with a renewed sense of mental strength which Ting has forged through his dramatic rise to one of the division's elite fighters in ONE Championship, an Asian sports phenomenon which has taken over the continent.

While acutely aware of the skills he possesses and the danger he presents his opponents, Ting is equally cognizant of the power of the mind.

"It's a matter of being present and having a peaceful mind on fight night and being able to perform to the best of my ability. I know I have the skills to beat pretty much any fighter in the world, it's just a matter of unleashing that on fight night."

He'll need all of those wits about him when he faces Suzuki in the Malaysian capital this weekend.

The hard-nosed Japanese slugger, although 11 years Ting's senior, is a renowned striker with a slew of knock-out finishes to his name through a career spanning over a decade.

The Kiwi is confident he can match Suzuki in any aspect of the fight, but at the same time acknowledges that it's in the ground game where he has the clearest advantage and the most concise path to victory.

"With the striking I'll definitely be keeping my range and working to frustrate him to over-commit and that's when the openings will come," Ting predicts.

"I want to take him down, neutralise him, and the look for the finish."

And his advantages certainly aren't restricted to inside the cage. Come Friday night, "E.T" will be bolstered by a fiercely partisan crowd of local fans who have proudly adopted the Kiwi, his Malaysian heritage ensuring he'll have a cast of thousands in his corner come the opening bell.

Kiwi-Malaysian Ev Ting fine-tuned and eager for redemption at ONE Championship: Quest for Greatness
Photo credit: ONE Championship

Ting has proven near unbeatable in Kuala Lumpur. He's yet to drop a contest in his birthplace through eight fights in his 14-4 professional career to date.

Walking out among those masses of faithful is a sensation he says is tough to describe, yet one which undoubtedly adds to the quality of his performance.

"The crowd definitely plays a role in the energy of the fight, it fuels me. It's a home ground buzz, and it feels good.

"I'm blessed…there are a lot of supporters here and a lot of love, and there's a bit of a following here for me."

It seems a land far removed from his headquarters in the eastern suburbs of Auckland, where he spends the lion's share of his time on the mats honing his craft alongside coach and mentor Hamish Robertson at Auckland MMA.

While he's become a role model for many in Malaysia, Ting also finds himself at the spearhead of a New Zealand martial arts revolution - a tight-knit community that is wholeheartedly supportive of its own and is beginning to make an undeniable impression on the global scene.

They often work in unison with cross-town gym City Kickboxing, the base of the likes of rising UFC lightweight Dan "The Hangman" Hooker and "The Style Bender" Israel Adesanya, a former kickboxer who's now on the cusp of cracking the next level.

"It's more than just sharing techniques. It's sharing the whole lifestyle and embracing the values of martial arts and what it can do for people," recounts an empassioned Ting.

"Martial Arts has changed my life – if I can inspire someone to pursue their dreams, I'd be blessed."

ONE's CEO and Chairman Chartri Sityadtong recently revealed that expansion into New Zealand was a very real possibility, and while cautious of the politics involved in such a move, Ting realises exactly what it could mean for the sport  in this region.

"I feel New Zealand fighters will sky-rocket if they had that kind of chance. We have tons of fighters waiting for their opportunity to shine."

You get the sense "E.T" is a man on a mission. Free of any niggly injuries which have plagued him entering into prior fight, his prediction for Friday night is swift and succinct.

"I'm going to finish him in the first round, that’s for sure," he says, before adding a hasty disclaimer.

"At the same time I'm going to be patient. I'm going to pick him apart with my range and as soon as I get an opportunity, I'm going to explode."

Newshub.