The name Chan Rothana needs absolutely no introduction in Cambodia, as the Khun Khmer star has made himself a household name in the local martial arts scene. Since joining ONE Championship, Chan (3-1) has had two victories inside the ONE Cage, but dropped one to countryman Sam Ang Dun. The fast-rising Cambodian MMA athlete is now looking to find a sport and make a name for himself in the international MMA scene.
Despite coming from humble beginnings, Chan is grateful for the opportunity to compete in Asia's largest MMA promotion.
"ONE Championship has given me an opportunity to compete with international fighters and challenge myself against the very best from other countries. This has helped me step up my game and keep improving my skills," said Chan.
When Chan was competing as a Khun Khmer fighter, he recalled how life was difficult because of the meager pay he would receive for fights. Fighters literally put their lives on the line whenever they have a match, so the small purse would require them to fight up to four times in a single month just to support their families.
Today, Chan is grateful to be with ONE, considered by many to be the most exciting MMA organization in the world. As such, his earnings have also increased since joining the promotion, and he has been able to capitalize and make some good investments.
One of those investments involved buying a Tuk Tuk, which gives him another source of income making his family's life much easier.
A Tuk Tuk is a public transport vehicle common in Southeast Asian nations like Thailand, the Philippines and Cambodia. It seats anywhere between two to five people depending on the size of the vehicle.
"I have two daughters and we used to pay for a Tuk Tuk everyday to bring them to school and that was too expensive for us," said Chan.
"After my first participation with ONE Championship in 2014, I used my fight earnings to purchase a Tuk Tuk. Now, I can drive my family everywhere when we want to go out together. Sometimes, I also drive people around and that helps earn me some extra income."
Following his successful debut at ONE: RISE OF THE KINGDOM in 2014, Chan was also granted the opportunity to spend a month training at Tiger Muay Thai and MMA Gym in Phuket, Thailand via a sponsorship from NagaWorld.
Since Chan's fighting discipline is deeply rooted in Khun Khmer, which places emphasis on striking techniques, being able to train at Tiger Muay Thai exposed him to world-class training facilities for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which has helped elevate his grappling game.
The improvement after training camp was evident in his last bout, when Chan defeated a tough Filipino opponent in Ramon Gonzales earlier this year at ONE: AGE OF CHAMPIONS in Kuala Lumpur. Chan's victory not only made his fellow countrymen proud, but he also proved that Cambodians are solid fighters that could do well in MMA.
"It was not an easy fight for me because Ramon [Gonzales] is a strong guy, with great Karate skills and with more experience in MMA than me," said Chan.
"I was well prepared with my training camp at Tiger Muay Thai where I concentrated on the ground work because I was sure he would bring me to the ground. Surprisingly, he tried some flashy kicks, exposing himself and giving me the opportunity to capitalize on his mistakes, control and finish early, playing to my advantages."
Chan stopped Gonzales using a combination of punches and sharp elbows, coercing referee Olivier Coste to step in and stop the fight, awarding Chan with a TKO victory in the first round.
On December 5, Chan will once again face countryman Sam Ang Dun in a much anticipated rematch. Sam earned a disqualification victory over Chan last year when the latter used an illegal stomp accidentally.
"I am happy with the fight ONE proposed because I was so frustrated after the red card last year. I am not out for revenge, I just want to make it clear that I deserved the victory. I have no problems with Sam Ang Dun," said Chan.
"Compared to last year, I am more experienced and prepared this time around. I know Sam better so I am more confident. I want to win for my family, my friends, the SELAPAK community and my country to continue the journey until I reach the top."
Chan, a father of two, credits his family as his life support and his motivation to continue fighting.
"My family as central in my life and they have supported me in different ways. My father is a Grand Master of Yutakhu Khom, the ancient Angkorian martial art and he was the one who taught me how to fight. His advice has helped me approach fights physically as well as spiritually," explained Chan.
"My wife is French and loves fight sports. She worries about me sometimes but she makes sure that I am ready for each fight and takes care of me. My two daughters understand that daddy has a different job compared to others. They are young and they just don't want me to get hurt. I also have a very good team that always pushes me to be better. My agent (Benoit) works hard to make sure that I can concentrate in training. My students at SELAPAK always have good words of encouragement and smiles for me."
"For all these things, I am grateful," said Chan.
Chan returns to the ONE Cage this December 5 at ONE: KINGDOM OF KHMER against countryman Sam Ang Dun in a three round bantamweight bout which takes place at the Koh Pich Theatre in Phnom Penh. The card is also headlined by unbeaten Hawaiian MMA sensation Lowen Tynanes, as he takes on highly-regarded Rasul Yakhyaev of Russia.