Undefeated Indonesian mixed martial artist Fransino Tirta shares his experience of fighting before royalty and MMA legends, at the Art of War FC 12 event, held in Beijing, China, on May 23, 2009. What is to come is the story of the first Indonesian martial artist to perform on the big international MMA stage, fulfilling a dream.
“FROM BALI TO BEIJING” by Fransino Tirta
After being inactive in Mixed Martial Arts for over a year, I was finally offered a chance to fight in one of the biggest up-and-coming MMA organizations in the world, Art of War FC 12 “Invincible,” at the Olympic Sports Center in Beijing, China on May 23, 2009. I actually had over a month to prepare, but since I was busy teaching, I really only had 2 weeks to train for the fight with my coach Niko Han in Bali.
My training camp started out with sparring with professional boxers at the boxing gym in Bali. I trained twice a day, Boxing/Kickboxing in the morning and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the afternoon, including MMA sparring in a boxing ring. For the MMA sessions, I was training with Niko Han’s students in Bali, Beri, Christian, Cody, James, Shinya, Quico and Ubu.
Fransino (top center, shirtless) with coach Niko Han (bottom center) and training partners Beri, Christian, Cody, James, Shinya, Quico and Ubu.
They helped me enormously with my preparations. My training was very tough, I did 5 rounds of 10 minutes of MMA sparring. Although I was exhausted after training, Niko would take me to the beach to enjoy the natural beauty of Bali and relax. Immediately my fatigue would disappear.
After 2 weeks of intense training in Bali, Niko and I headed off to Beijing. We arrived in Beijing on Monday May 18, 2009. This event was a very special one because his highness Prince of United Emirates Arab, H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan was to watch the fights
He is sponsoring the whole event and invited many MMA stars from around the world. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza, a 5-star hotel. Some of the MMA celebrities present were Rickson Gracie, Royce Gracie, Renzo Gracie, Royler Gracie, Ricardo Liborio, Demian Maia, Thales Leites, Tim Sylvia, Fabricio Werdum, Joachim ‘Hell Boy’ Hansen, Vitor ‘Shaolin’ Riberio, Jeremy Horn, Bas Rutten, Fabio Leopoldo, etc.
I’m a big fan and love martial arts, they are all my idols so during the whole time I was taking pictures and having conversations with them. What’s amazing is that they are all stars, yet very friendly and down to earth. They had no problem exchanging ideas and taking pictures with whomever. Joachim ‘Hell Boy’ Hansen, a top MMA fighter, after having dinner together and conversing with my coach Niko Han, didn’t hesitate to swap techniques on the floor of the restaurant.
Coach Niko Han trains with Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen in middle of hotel restaurant.
I got to meet my opponent, Malik Arash Maylawi, he is a famous fighter from Sweden. He studied martial arts everywhere from Brazil to Thailand to further his skills in MMA. Now he’s the head coach for MMA at the Legacy Gym in Thailand, the Swedish Shooto champion, and also a famous grappler in Thailand. Needless to say, he was the toughest opponent I’ve yet to meet.
I never would have dreamt that one day Michael Buffer, the most renowned ring announcer, would announce my name. I remember every time I train and listen to compilations of songs I’d hear Michael Buffer’s voice “LETS GET READY TO RRRRRRRRUMMMMBLLLEEEEEE.........”, it would always motivate me. The voice is so familiar to me, watching Mike Tyson or other well-known boxers compete, his voice gives me positive energy. The moment I walked towards the ring, Michael Buffer said “In the read corner, from Indonesia, Fransinoooooooo Tiiiiiirtaaaaaaa …”, I swear it gave me goose bumps. I’ll never forget that moment.
I entered the ring. I was 100% focused. I shut out all the pressure that was present in the arena. Pressure that I was going to fight in front of all these world famous fighters, pressure that this time my fight would be witnessed by the whole world, pressure that this fight is the most important fight of my life. In my mind, the Olympic Sports Center is now my ‘Bat Cave’, the small gym in Bali that I trained and prepared myself for this fight.
The bell rings, it’s the signal that the fight has begun. My opponent starts with a kick towards my legs, I counter with a punch towards his head and close the distance and get the clinch. My opponent is very strong and takes me down from the over-and-under position. We land in half-guard, he has the underhook and passes my guard, I immediately turn to my knees and he takes my back. I’ve drilled this position hundreds of times with my coach and instantly reverse the position by shacking him off my back, I end up on top in his half-guard where I continue with ground-and-pound. Several right punches and elbows connect to Malik’s face, he attempts a triangle choke, I defend and pass his guard, and he rolls to his knees and I knee him in the head. Malik stands up and turns his back to me to get away, I chase after him with strikes and take him down with a hip throw from the clinch.
Fransino stand's over Malik's guard.
Malik pushes me off him and I end up standing over him in his open guard. I try to pass his guard and again he rolls back to his knees. I knee him in the head and I try to sink in a guillotine choke but he defends well and transitions to a double leg takedown, he lands on top in my half guard. I make a mistake by reaching my arm across his back, he capitalizes and immediately sinks in a side choke, and it’s deep.
While I’m trying to defend the choke I’m thinking “This is bad, should I give up??” … the submission was half way in. Then I remembered all the hard training I put into this, all the time and effort my coach sacrificed and put into me, all the big expectations my students and fans have of me in Indonesia, and that this is the biggest fight of my life. I decide not to give up and little by little I try to escape from the chokehold, I hear my coach saying “Bridge out No …”, I then quickly bridge out and escape the submission.
Fransino guages the distance.
We both end up standing. While maintaining distance and regaining my energy I’m trying to measure the distance and find an opportunity to hit his face. He attacks with a good combination and connects to my left eye, I immediately counter with an overhand right that connects and makes him step back and causes a cut on his left eyebrow. He also manages to give me a small cut above my right eye from one of his elbows. Suddenly the referee stops the fight to check Malik’s cut. After being checked and treated, the doctor decides that Malik is able to continue and the referee starts the fight again. I knew I cut him and I wanted to continue attacking his lesions. We exchange blows and my right hook connects above his eye again and knocks him down, he immediately stand back up. We’re exchange again and my left hook connects and cuts Malik’s right eyebrow. Blood was dripping down his chest from his left and right eyebrows. The referee stops the fight again and the doctor checks Malik’s cuts. Shortly after, the referee calls us back to the center of the ring. Just when I was getting ready to fight the referee grabs my wrist and raises my hand declaring me the winner by TKO due to doctor’s stoppage, the doctor forbids Malik to continue due to his cuts on both if his eyebrows.
I talked to Malik to boost his moral: I said to him “Malik, you’re a strong fighter, don’t feel like you lost the fight, cause you didn’t.” I feel like he didn’t lose, because even though he was injured he still wanted to continue to fight. I have major respect for him, he is a fighter that doesn’t know surrender. But I’m very happy to be declared the winner because this is the biggest event of my life. After the fight, Royler Gracie said to me “Man, you are a tough fighter!” … This is the kind of praise I always dreamt of hearing from a high-level fighter like Royler Gracie. I’m incredibly proud and happy.
I want to thank God for giving me the strength and protection. Thanks to my coach Niko Han, he sacrificed his time and energy to prepare me for this fight. Honestly, I couldn’t have done this without him by my side. Thanks to Beri, Christian, Cody, James, Shinya, Quico and Ubu, Niko Han’s students in Bali who helped me with my preparations. Thanks to my students in Jakarta, their prayers and support gave me strength. Thanks to all my fans in Indonesia for their support and prayers. Thanks to Anastasya Yanti, my wife-to-be, for her love and prayers, your love and prayers are my inspiration in my life.
Fransino Tirta
