--- title: "I’m A M’sian MMA Fighter Who Dreamt Big And Began My Journey At 16yo. Today, I’m A SUKMA And SEA Games Medallist" url: https://weirdkaya.com/msian-mma-fighter-tan-yee-siang/ date: 2026-11-08 modified: 2026-11-08 lang: en author: "Sarah Yeoh" description: "Exclusive Story by WeirdKaya - Proper accreditation to WeirdKaya and consent from the interviewee are required. He may only be 21 this year, but mixed martial arts (MMA) and combat..." categories: - "CommunityCerita" - "Exclusive" tags: - "#Trending" - "Malaysia" - "MMA" - "Tan Yee Siang" image: https://cdn.weirdkaya.com/media/Yee-Siang-MMA-fighter-CC-cover-image.png word_count: 1571 --- # I’m A M’sian MMA Fighter Who Dreamt Big And Began My Journey At 16yo. Today, I’m A SUKMA And SEA Games Medallist ## TL: DR - Tan Yee Siang is a 21-year-old Malaysian MMA fighter holding a SUKMA 2026 gold medal and a 2025 SEA Games silver medal. - Conor McGregor inspires Yee Siang at age 16 during the Covid-19 pandemic to begin his own home and park training routines. - Trains six days a week from 12pm to 2pm and 7pm to 10.30pm across grappling, jujitsu, wrestling, striking, boxing, and kickboxing. - Holds a 13-win amateur MMA streak, three Malaysia MMA Champion titles, and a two-match pro winning streak including Fire Cage x RAGE MMA 1. - Aims to become the first Malaysian MMA fighter in the UFC and win a UFC championship title. ***Exclusive Story by WeirdKaya - Proper accreditation to WeirdKaya and consent from the interviewee are required.*** **He may only be 21 this year, but mixed martial arts (MMA) and combat sports athlete Tan Yee Siang already has a string of accolades under his belt, including a SEA Games silver medal and a SUKMA 2026 gold medal.** But behind the flashing lights, knockout blows, and pulsating roars of the crowd, is the story of a young man who dared to dream big and how he worked his way to the upper echelons of the MMA scene. ![](https://weirdkaya.com/wp-content/uploads/Tan-Yee-Siang-MMA-1.jpg)Provided to WeirdKaya ## Inspired by UFC idol As a young boy, Yee Siang found himself deeply drawn to action movies, which nursed a growing aspiration within him to one day perform the same action-packed moves displayed by the onscreen stars. Out of all the individuals who have made a name for themselves either through action movies or professional boxing and MMA, none caught his attention more than Conor McGregor, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight and Lightweight Champion. "During the Covid-19 pandemic, I was a 16-year-old who was feeling quite lost over what I should do with my life. ##### "At the time, I was watching Conor's UFC fights on TV and going, 'Yeah, this is what I wanna be in the future'. That was the moment where I was inspired to get serious and start training for an MMA career." But Yee Siang was soon met with another obstacle: how was he going to train at a time where gyms across the country were closed? ![](https://weirdkaya.com/wp-content/uploads/Conor-McGregor.jpg)Photo via [Instagram/@thenotoriousmma](https://www.instagram.com/thenotoriousmma/) ## Rising above the challenges Undeterred by the circumstances, Yee Siang kickstarted his training simply by implementing his own training schedule and routine at home. > **Every day, I'd just wake up to run and practice by kicking the punching bag—all while holding on to the belief that one day everything will return to normal and that I will be ready when the time comes.** "Later on, I found my current coach through Instagram and we practiced together by quietly slipping out to the park, where he would just hold some pads for me to train," he recalled. Another hurdle Yee Siang had to overcome was his studies as pursuing an MMA career was a life-altering decision that had far-reaching impact. "To be honest, I hated going to school and I've always known that being an MMA fighter is the path I want to take. However, my parents insisted that I sit for my SPM before taking the next step." Thus, Yee Siang obediently sat for SPM and passed the examination, which now gave him complete freedom to pursue his MMA career full-time. ## Training routine On the surface, it seems that all MMA fighters have to do is to avoid punches and dish out blows to their opponents. However, the work put to hone this skill is more intensive than most people assume. ![](https://weirdkaya.com/wp-content/uploads/Tan-Yee-Siang-MMA-2.jpg)Provided to WeirdKaya According to Yee Siang, he trains six days a week with his coach and spends hours practicing on his grappling, jujitsu, wrestling, striking, boxing, and kickboxing. The training also includes sparring with fellow MMA fighters, which is done twice a week. "I wake up at around 11am before starting my training at 12pm. When 2pm comes, I'll go home to rest before resuming training from 7pm to 10.30pm. "As for my training routine, I don't find it to be tough at all. This is because my coach is quite easygoing as he knows he doesn't have to be strict with me thanks to my high discipline levels. "My coach also shares his knowledge with me and is very open to listening to feedback from my end. As such, both of us share a very close bond." ## Punching his way to the top After four to five months of intense training, Yee Siang's first real test came in the form of him participating in his maiden amateur MMA competition. ##### "At the second round of the competition, I knocked out my opponent and it was the best feeling ever. It felt so damn good to be able to punch and break someone to a point where they're unable to get back up on their feet. "The victory also built my confidence and made me realise that MMA was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life." ![](https://weirdkaya.com/wp-content/uploads/Tan-Yee-Siang-MMA-3.jpg)Provided to WeirdKaya Yee Siang also proudly shared that he holds a 13-winning streak in his amateur MMA record, while he's currently on a two-match winning streak in his pro MMA record, with his most recent victory being at the *Fire Cage x RAGE MMA 1* event on June 20, 2026. As time went on, Yee Siang continued to build his name in the MMA scene, where he was crowned as Malaysia MMA Champion not once, but three times—a feat that cemented his status as a hot, rising prospect. ## Heartbreaking loss In 2025, Yee Siang was selected to represent Malaysia in the MMA event at the SEA Games held in Thailand—an opportunity many athletes dream of achieving. On the final day of the event, he squared off against Vietnam's Van Minh Quang but unfortunately lost and had to settle for the silver medal. Although Yee Siang admitted that the loss was a huge disappointment, he said he learnt a lot from it as it taught him to focus more on honing his craft and enjoying the process. "I used to place a lot of pressure and expectations on myself but after the SEA Games, I came to see that being an MMA fighter is a blessing as I'm able to do something many dream of doing but aren't able to materialise it. On top of that, I get to feel the crowd, the adrenaline, and the excitement of knowing what I'm capable of achieving. ![](https://weirdkaya.com/wp-content/uploads/Tan-Yee-Siang-MMA-4.jpg)Provided to WeirdKaya "As an MMA fighter, I do face challenges in the form my mental health taking a hit from life's ups and downs. But I overcome them by focusing on my training and relying on the full support of my team." ## Misconceptions In both popular culture and televised matches, MMA fighters are often portrayed as inherently violent individuals who release their pent-up anger by raining bone-shattering blows on opponents in front of an audience braying for blood. While Yee Siang acknowledges the sports' violent side, he pointed out that it was part and parcel of every MMA fighter's job. ##### "We MMA fighters are humans as well, and this is what we need to do as our job. Inside the cage, we can be absolute killing machines and mow all our opponents down, but outside of it, we're really not violent people. "I think these misconceptions exist because many don't understand the sport. To be very honest, some of the best MMA fighters are actually the nicest people in the world. At the end of the day, it boils down to the level of discipline and self-restraint on the fighter's end." ![Tan Yee Siang MMA (5)](https://weirdkaya.com/wp-content/uploads/Tan-Yee-Siang-MMA-5.jpg)Provided to WeirdKaya Yee Siang also said that certain rules are implemented for every match to ensure all parties do not walk out of the match with life-threatening injuries. For example, fighters cannot strike the back of their opponent's head or along their spine. Eye poking and hitting their opponent's groin area is also prohibited. As for the trash talking that's often a key feature of MMA matches, Yee Siang explained that it's merely a method to generate hype for the event. "Obviously, when there's competition, heated moments are bound to happen. But its purpose is to sell the fight to viewers so that they will come and watch. To me, it's part of business as well as providing entertainment to viewers." ## Up is the only way forward Even after achieving so much throughout his MMA career, the sky is still the limit for Yee Siang, who has set his eyes on his biggest aspiration yet. "Aside from looking to win more matches to add to my pro MMA record, my biggest goal is to one day become the first Malaysian MMA fighter in the UFC and be a UFC champion." He also called upon those who dream of building an MMA career to never stop believing in themselves, just like he did five years ago. > **You've got to believe in yourself and carry this delusional, crazy belief that you're going to make it. Above all, you need a burning desire that spurs you to fight on even when things get tough."** ![Tan Yee Siang MMA (6)](https://weirdkaya.com/wp-content/uploads/Tan-Yee-Siang-MMA-6.jpeg)Provided to WeirdKaya Yee Siang also said much needs to be done to further propel the sports' growth domestically so that potential prospects do not get left out. "More effort in promoting and creating awareness for MMA needs to be carried out as there are a lot of talented people trying their best to break into the scene. "It takes time and the sport is slowly gaining momentum in Malaysia. All we can do now is to remain patient and see how it plays out." ***Exclusive Story by WeirdKaya – If you wish to reproduce this story, please ensure that you obtain consent from the interviewee to maintain factual accuracy and avoid the potential spread of misleading information. If referencing or using any information from our story, we kindly ask that proper credit is given, along with a backlink to WeirdKaya, as acknowledgment of the efforts made by our editors in sourcing and conducting interviews.*** **READ [ALSO](https://weirdkaya.com/i-nearly-quit-karate-after-a-painful-loss-now-im-a-3x-sea-games-champion-world-championship-silver-medallist/):** https://weirdkaya.com/i-nearly-quit-karate-after-a-painful-loss-now-im-a-3x-sea-games-champion-world-championship-silver-medallist/ --- ![Check Us out at WhatsApp now!](https://cdn.weirdkaya.com/media/cta-whatsapp-v2.jpg)Join us at [WhatsApp ](https://bit.ly/WhatsAppWeirdKaya)now! ---