Rifdean Masdor Calls For Shot At Nadaka Following $100K Contract Win
Rifdean Masdor had been waiting three years for this phone call. On Friday, inside the ring at Lumpinee Stadium, he made sure no one could overlook it any longer.
The 23-year-old Malaysian knocked out Iran’s Javad Mozafari in the first round of their atomweight Muay Thai bout at The Inner Circle 19 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, June 19, earning the US$100,000 six-figure contract that has defined his entire journey. The finish, his fifth first-round stoppage in ONE Championship and seventh promotional win, came at the 94-second mark.
“I’ve been waiting for this contract for three years. I’ve got it because I worked hard. Discipline and motivation have always been number one for me,” he said.
“Thank you so much to Boss Chatri [Sityodtong] for giving me the contract and the bonus, and thank you to my big boss at Sor Sommai. Thank you to my fans and my family. Thank you, everyone.”
The finish itself followed a calculated build. Rifdean dropped Mozafari with a body shot early in the round. The Iranian recovered and beat the count, only to be met by two left hooks to the body that ended the contest. The Sor Sommai and Sor Kitrungroj product had not banked on the finish coming so quickly, but he trusted the process and kept the pressure on until it did.
“I wasn’t expecting to get the knockout win in the first round because anything can happen in a fight. But, Alhamdulillah, I kept pushing until my opponent went down,” he said.
In earning the contract, Rifdean joined Johan Ghazali and Aliff Sor Dechapan as Malaysian fighters to have been handed this opportunity on the world stage. It was a milestone he had visualised for years, and its arrival confirmed everything he had been telling himself across three years of grind.
For Rifdean, the contract is not the destination. It is the beginning of the next chapter, and he already knows exactly who he wants to share it with.
“Now that I’ve got the contract, I’m happy. But it’s not over yet. See you in the next fight. I will do my best,” he said.
The callout he delivered after the win sent a clear message to the entire atomweight division. ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka Yoshinari was watching from wherever champions go when they wait for challengers to arrive.
“My next goal is to become a ONE World Champion. So, for my next fight, see you in Japan, Nadaka. I want to fight against him,” he said.
“I’ll train hard to get the belt. Nadaka is my idol, and I want to fight with my idol. It will be a good fight.”
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