Starting From Office Boy, MMA Fighters From Indonesia Start Moving Dreams To Get Professional Contracts

Indonesian MMA fighter Cornellius RJ Aritonang. (Photo via Antara)

JAKARTA - MMA fighter from Indonesia Cornellius RJ Aritonang brings the name of the nation in Rome, Italy. The man, who was originally an office boy, managed to bring victory in his inaugural match at Cage Warriors 154 which was held last weekend.

Cornellius performed brilliantly in the featherweight and managed to beat Italian fighter Gianluca Ancora in three rounds by deciding the numbers victory by unanimous decision from the judges or UD (Unianimosity Decision).

The 21-year-old managed to reach high points by dominating in the first round. Although his opponent continued to carry him on the ground game, Cornellius seemed to have escaped from the opponent's submission technique.

Furthermore, Cornellius admitted that he had experienced pressure when facing the Cage Warriors 154 match, but he received support from the coaches who trained him at the MMA Fight Academy.

"There must be pressure, a lot of thinking about what will happen. But Coach Marc and Coach Jake always help me mentally and continue to encourage me," Cornellius said, as quoted by Antara, Tuesday, May 9.

"This victory is one of my dreams, can get an international contract, can bring the name red and white, the name Indonesia. And this proves that Indonesia can and has many talented athletes who can go to the international level," he continued.

Apart from Indonesia, four Italian fighters who graduated from the MMA Fight Academy program also presented their best performance on the Cage Warriors 154 stage.

Meanwhile, Yoga Prabowo, who also competed in the same match, had to accept defeat in the 3rd round to fighter Andrey Tyshchenko (Ukraine/France) in the bantam class.

In this event, three of the four fighters managed to win. They are Luca Borando, Francesco Mazzeo, and Khadim Dia.