Teen Muay Thai champ doesn’t want to let Sarawak down

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By Lian Cheng

KUCHING, Sept 26: While most kids his age were still trying to find their feet, seven-year-old Miki was already kicking — and punching — like a little fighting dynamo.

The Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing) prodigy whose real name is Muhammad Mikail Ghazali Zulfikar, but Miki to his friends and fans, took up the full contact combat sport in earnest after turning seven.

Even at that young age, he had shown promising glimpses of what it takes to be a Nak Muay—the moves, the style and a precocious talent—qualities that underlined his potential as a future kickboxing champion.

Small wonder he bagged the Sukma XXI Sarawak 2024 Muay Thai gold medal for Sarawak in the fiercely contested 51-54 kg category at Naim Street Paragon Mall, Bintulu.

With ample international fighting experience under his belt, Miki’s 24-21 victory over Melaka’s Muhammad Zulfakar Othman in the final was not unexpected. What was, perhaps, a little unusual though was that it was the first time ever the 15-year-old student from SMK St Thomas had come under pressure during a fight.

Miki had his first fight at seven and he has been competing since. He estimated joining five fights on average per year and on a random count, could have totted up to more than 50 fights to date. This year alone, he has fought in 10 tournaments, including Sukma 2024. In all of them, he had been able to keep his “cool” except this Sukma.

Why the sudden attack of nerves? He explained: “To me, Sarawak is my home and I didn’t want to disappoint the people.

“It was a bit scary because a lot of Sarawakians were there. So if I were to lose, I would have let them all down. The pressure was there as I wanted to show them I could win.

“This was my first Sukma, I was really, really happy to win the gold medal. And I am proud to fight for Sarawak,” he said in an exclusive interview.

Just being realistic

Miki was never dramatic nor morbid after losing a match — thanks to his sanguine personality.

“It’s part of life. There are other fights which also come with wins and losses. I just learn from them and try to accept them. Life goes on. Losing is normal. There will always be another fight, another victory, another defeat,” he replied when asked how losing affects him.

For Miki, it is about good and bad years. In 2023, he fought many matches and lost them all but in 2024, the tide seems to be turning.

In February this year, he crushed Japanese Kenshin Tenabe 6-1 to take the 42kg category title for Year 14-15 in the WBC-organised 2024 Amazing Muay Thai World Festival at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, Bangkok.

His other records include a bronze medal in the 2022 IFMA (International Federation of Muay Thai Associations) Youth World Championship (Junior 12-13, Youth 40kg category) and a silver medal in the Malaysia Inter-School and Youth Muay Thai Championship 2019 (Youth 8-9, A Class Open, 28kg category).

In Sukma 2024, facing Johor’s Ahmad Akid Mohd Nazrul Hisyam during the prelims, Miki took down his opponent in less than three minutes with a near perfect score of 17-2, sending Sarawak supporters into a joyous frenzy.

The victory not only earned him the ticket to quarter-finals, he also won a huge group of fans. After that, whenever he fought, fans would throng the venue to cheer him on with motivational chants and patriotic songs. When the singing died down, the high-pitch screams of his name—”Miki, Miki”—could be heard from some young female fans at the spectators stand.

Miki continued to impress. He carved a smooth path to the semi-finals by taking down Norhidham Norhisham of Negeri Sembilan in the last eight before defeating Terengganu’s Tengku Muhammad Adam Fakruzie Tengku Mohamad Ismail to march into the final.

A family thing

Miki was born in Putrajaya to a family of four siblings, including two brothers and a sister. He is the youngest boy. His second brother, Muhammad Johan Ghazali Zulfikar or Jojo, is the national Muay Thai sensation but Miki is certain he got into the combat sport not because of his famous brother.

“It’s actually more a family thing,” he said.

His father Zulfikar Mohammad Ghazali is a policeman who has been stationed in Sarawak since 2015 and his mother, Jennana Lynn Johnson, is an American. Both are active Muay Thai exponents.

For his eldest brother Elias, Jojo, his younger sister Emylia Lynn and himself to follow in their parents’ footsteps is quite natural. And so far, he is quite contented with what he has done with his life.

During the interview, there wasn’t a moment when Miki was not smiling or beaming. Mum Jennana said it was not because of his victory in Sukma but because Miki basically is “a happy boy.”

“It’s better to be happy. I’m just happy,” Miki chimed in with an infectious smile.

A third former at SMK St Thomas, Miki attends school like boys his age except when there is an imminent competition. He then takes a week off. His favourite subject is history and his favourite pastime is football, but no online games for him. The focus is always on Muay Thai.

He trains from 6am to 10am and 4.30pm to 8pm when there is an upcoming fight. It is a sacrifice he has to make — one he will happily stick to as he has never thought of doing anything else. His ultimate goal is joining One Championship, a multi-national combat sport promotion, founded in 2011.

Miki always tries to fight smart. He will initially take a defensive posture to size up his opponent and will only attack when he feels the time is right. With One Championship at the top his must-do list and the belief that nothing is impossible, he is ready for the hard yards to take his fighting skills to next level and stay on top of his game.

Miki wants to make Sarawak proud by becoming a One Championship fighter, like brother Jojo. With his heart firmly set on scaling the heights of kickboxing, he looks well on the way. — DayakDaily

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