ADRIAN MATTHEIS A NATIVE PAPUAN FIGHTER WHO ASPIRES TO BUILD HIS BIRTHPLACE

ADRIAN MATTHEIS A NATIVE PAPUAN FIGHTER WHO ASPIRES TO BUILD HIS BIRTHPLACE

Adrian Mattheis had success in the recent One Championship. He dreams to advance Papua from the results of his hard work to become a fighter. Quoting sport.detik.com, Adrian Mattheis recorded a second-round knockout victory over Alex Silva of Brazil in the ONE Championship (56kg) bantamweight bout in Singapore. The bout took place on Friday (11/3/2022).

The success of this fighter from Papua, who is under the auspices of the Tigershark Fighting Academy, has led him to break into the top five in the world. “Alex Silva, who is ranked fifth in the world, is not an arbitrary opponent. Alex Silva once held the world championship belt. This victory led Adrian Mattheis to become the first Indonesian fighter to occupy the fifth position in the world. As Chairman of the Papua Top Team, I am proud of the achievements that have been recorded by Adrian Mattheis from Papua,” said Dede Barabas who is also the chairman of the United Papuan Hope Foundation on Monday (14/3/2022).

“The success of Adrian Mattheis is not only an aspiration for Papuan children but also a role model for other young people from other regions who want to pursue mixed martial arts,” said the Head of the DKI Jakarta KBI Provincial Government, Yoko Arthi Budiman and owner of the Sasana Siam Papua Top Team, which became the training ground for Adrian Mattheis in his preparations.

“All of this success cannot be separated from the prayers of mom and dad in Sorong, West Papua. And, I’m grateful to be an Indonesian fighter from Papua who is able to penetrate the top 5 in the world,” Adrian Mattehis said.

With this result, 29-year-old Adrian Mattheis has recorded 10 wins and 5 losses (2 KOs) while Alex Silva (38 years) has a record of 11 wins and 7 losses (1 KO). Currently, the ONE Championship bantamweight champion is Filipino fighter Joshua Pacio.

“I will continue to train to prepare myself for the next fight. And, I am ready to face Joshua Pacio any time because my goal is to win the ONE Championship world belt,” asserted the eldest of two brothers Philipus Mattheis and Jusmin Tempomissa.

Adrian Mattheis is the breadwinner of the family. He has managed to run the family’s financial condition from a career as a fighter.

“My father is just a palm oil truck driver in Sorong. So, I take the responsibility of paying for the education of my sister and cousin who I consider my own brother. I also want to raise money to buy a nice car for my parents. It’s been my intention from the start,” he said.

Not only is he successful as a fighter, but Adrian Mattheis is also successful in education. He has a bachelor’s degree in fisheries. He also wants to continue his education to get a Master’s degree in Water Resources.

“I want to live a constructive life and be able to develop Papua and create jobs for Papuan children. That’s why I want to take a Master’s degree in Water Resources,” he explained. The childhood of Adrian Mattheis, who won the ONE Straw Weight Indonesia Tournament in 2016, was highlighted by a rather difficult background. Little Adrian Mattheis also felt the impact of the Ambon conflict, which made his family move to Sorong in search of a better life.

Before pursuing mixed martial arts, Adrian admitted that he had joined the Persiram Raja Ampat junior football club. He studied martial arts, especially karate, because he was often bullied when he was in high school and college around 2013.

Adrian’s passion for martial arts grew stronger when he met the figure of Zuli Silawanto. The trainer for the Kickboxing National Team (Timnas) at the World Kickboxing Championship in Italy 2021 is the main coach at Tigershark Fighting Academy. Thanks to Zuli Silawanto’s mentorship, Adrian Mattheis has transformed into the tough person he is today.