MMA: Singapore's darling Sherilyn Lim to debut at ONE FC: Total Domination

On October 18 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Sherilyn Lim will make her professional mixed martial arts (MMA) debut in front of her home crowd. But a quick look at the 22 year old Lim will not convince anyone that she is an MMA fighter. However, once you see her train, you’ll understand why her professional debut is highly anticipated. 

 

Lim fights out of Fight G and has made a name for herself competing on the Singaporean amateur circuit. She started with Muay Thai back in 2007 but she transitioned gradually to MMA.

 

Now she will get the chance to perform under the bright lights of a packed stadium.

 

"It is such an honor for me to fight for ONE FC because 90 percent of the top fighters in Asia are signed with ONE FC and I am going to be sharing a card with some of the biggest names in the sport, I still can't believe it when I see my photo next to MMA legends like Bibiano Fernandes and Tatsuya Mizuno,” Lim said. “I am going to be on the same show as them; it doesn't seem real."

 

The UFC, with fighters such as Ronda Rousey, recently followed in ONE FC's footsteps by introducing women's MMA for the first time after seeing the response that Nicole Chua received when the Singaporean accountant fought at ONE FC: War of the Lions last March. Lim will be the second female fighter to star on the biggest stage in Asia and is proud to be a pioneer for the sport.

 

"I think it is fantastic that Asia's biggest MMA organization is supporting women's MMA and I hope to put on a fight that the fans in Singapore will remember a long time and will help to open the door for more female fighters to get an opportunity like this in the future."

 

It’s not easy for females to penetrate the sporting world. For MMA, it’s much tougher. When Lim tells people that she’s actually preparing for a professional MMA match, she is met with shock and disbelief. 

 

Outside training, Lim enjoys doing what other girls her age also do. “Most of the time I am working. I enjoy watching videos about history and science and I’m always looking for new music,” Lim shared. “I also spend time with friends and family.”

 

Lim, who holds a Diploma in Business Administration from Singapore Polytechnic holds a job as the Operations Manager of Fight G. On October 18, the 22-year-old fighter will drop all that to try out the male-dominated sport of MMA. 

 

It’s easy to say that all Lim needs to do is to win her professional debut. However, things are more complicated than that. She not only needs to win. She also needs to show the crowd an exciting fight because this is the biggest chance for her to help her fellow female MMA fighters. This is her shot at opening doors from women all over Asia, to help them gain the courage to pursue an MMA career. Lim used to be one of them, unsure if turning pro was a legitimate option, but when the opportunity came, Lim quickly took advantage.

 

“It was an opportunity that I could not pass up on,” Lim admitted. “ONE FC is the largest MMA organization in Asia and being part of it is definitely an honor.” - GMA News