Jeff Chan on fighting with no live fans: “It will make for a really interesting vibe”
Jeff Chan takes on Radeem Rahman at ONE: King of the Jungle. The event emanates from Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. Jeff Chan is a mixed-martial artist from the Ontario MMA scene and is looking to represent internationally. He’s debuting in ONE championship and is a popular Youtuber known as MMA Shredded, teaching people tenants of martial arts and doing high-quality technique breakdowns. Jeff Chan was good enough to allocate some of his time towards taking part in this Q&A session with me.
Jeff Chan Q&A
You’ve been signed to ONE for a few months now and are finally poised to make your debut. What’s the mindset like a few days out of this fight?
Well, fight camp was definitely not easy. Moving to a new city, going to a new gym, especially one like Tristar, is not easy. It was a tough month and a half, but going into this fight I feel like a new version of myself, a lot stronger and definitely in the best shape of my life. Of course, there are nerves, but I know going into the fight that I have a lot of support globally and that I will always try to do my best out there.
Seems like you’ve been at Tristar quite a bit lately…..trained in Bangkok as well…..Who are the main coaches and training partners you’re working with ahead of this one?
My main coach was Firas Zahabi and Nick Castiglia, and my main training partners were Xavier Alaoui, Aiemann Zahabi, Louie Sanoudakis, Attila Korkmaz, and Rany Saadeh.
Back to back wins in Wreck MMA and BTC…..Are you feeling the love from the Ontario MMA scene heading into this one?
Of course! It was always BTC’s intention to put Ontario and MMA in Canada on the map. I think that we have some really great athletes here, and it would be amazing to showcase more top Canadian talent. I definitely feel a lot of love going into this fight, not only from Ontario but also globally.
Don’t seem altogether sure on your fighting future but wanted to capitalize on a rare opportunity to fight for ONE. Does the outcome of this particular fight play a key role in what your competitive future looks like?
No, not necessarily. I love helping others globally and where my business is headed at the moment. I don’t think any particular outcome can take that away from me.
ONE: King of the Jungle
Your opponent Radeem Rahman has contested his whole pro career in ONE and has a one hundred percent finishing rate. He was beaten in his last bout by a veteran with close to 50 fights. What are your thoughts on your opponent overall?
I think it’s going to be a really great fight! I know that he’s itching to get back into the octagon and he looks extremely athletic, so I am definitely expecting the best version of himself stepping into the cage that night.
The opponent has been out of the picture since October 2018 but you last competed in November 2018……Has there been any utility for you being out of the cage ie// recovery? Do you think you or your opponent will have any cage rust?
No, I’m sure both of us will be as sharp as we can be.
This event won’t have any fans present as a precautionary measure related to coronavirus. What do you think the competitive dynamic will be like with zero fans in attendance?
I think it will make for a really interesting vibe and I’m not sure whether it will play a factor in anything.
You have a huge social media following across multiple platforms. How does it feel to have such a groundswell of support while you’re putting out informative, quality martial arts content?
It’s really amazing and I am feeling grateful and blessed every day. I know that whatever happens in the cage, a lot of these people have been with me from the beginning when MMAShredded was nothing. And I truly would not be where I am today without them, so it’s kind of a fight that I feel I’m representing for everyone.
