MANILA — An overseas Filipino worker plans to take it to the next level when he makes his debut in ONE Championship on March 11.

Richard Corminal, who worked as a Muay Thai trainer in Malaysia, will see his dream of fighting on the big stage become reality when he takes on Thai mainstay Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai in ONE: Warrior Kingdom, at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

Corminal had always wanted to become an MMA fighter, having watched the sport since the early 2000’s.

“When I saw an MMA bout for the first time, I got hooked. It was exciting, and it’s something different. There are a lot of options to win and weapons to utilize,” he said. “From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be an MMA fighter.”

His obsession with the combat sport led him to learn Muay Thai, which served as his foundation.

Corminal was on his way to becoming an MMA fighter until he decided to leave the country and look for a job elsewhere.

“It was a tough decision to make, but I have a family to support. They are my top priority. I chose to work abroad and try to give them a good life,” he said.

The gym proprietor whom Corminal worked for noticed his talent and gave him a chance to revive and fulfill his dream.

“MuayFit gave me the chance to fulfill my dream to become an MMA fighter. I’m so grateful for that opportunity,” Corminal said.

He then worked with MMA athletes such as Eric and Edward Kelly, Rolando Gabriel Dy, Carlo Laurel as well as the father-and-son duo of Raysaldo and Fritz Biagtan.

“It was difficult as expected, but I wanted to be an MMA fighter so bad. I chose to endure. I kept on telling myself that pain is temporary. I just pushed harder every single day,” he said of his transition to MMA.

In October 2012, Corminal made his MMA debut by securing a 2nd-round stoppage against an experienced Malaysian fighter. His successes went on until he racked up a record of 4-1. All of his career victories came by way of knockout.

His success in minor MMA leagues was noticed by ONE Championship, which decided to sign him up for the Thai card.

“I am so happy. The feeling is like winning an MMA title. ONE Championship is the biggest promotion in Asia, and to be part of it, it’s truly an honor. Everything that I did in training is all worth it because I’ve made it here,” he said.

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