Melvin Yeoh Aiming for One FC Malaysian National Championship This Friday

Since suffering the only loss of his career in September of 2011, Malaysian featherweight Melvin “Overkill” Yeoh has won his last five fights in a row, raising his record to 7-1.

Yeoh’s winning streak was good enough to earn him a spot in One FC, where he debuted earlier this year with a second-round submission of Raymond Tiew.

“I have just been consistently training hard,” said Yeoh. “I did not get this opportunity before to compete on such a big stage, so now I am grabbing it with both hands and making the most of the chance.

“Raymond is a friend of mine. It was a little weird when we started the bout, but once we started trading punches, I settled into the groove and I saw the opportunity for the triangle choke. I locked it in and I got the tap afterwards. Overall, I thought it was a good performance, although still not perfect.”

Yeoh will make his return to One FC on Nov. 15 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, against a fighter he knows very well, A.J. Lias Mansor (1-3).

“A.J. is like me, we’ve been around the MMA industry for a long time,” said Yeoh. “I remember that he used to be a teacher like me as well. He fought in the first ever professional MMA contest in Malaysia years ago and in that bout, I was the referee.

“I know what he is good at and he knows my strengths. He likes to grapple and overpower his opponent, so I need to stay out of grappling range and use my strikes. Mix up my punches and kicks and keep him at a distance. He’s one of the best fighters in Asia so it will be great if I can beat him.”

The bout is scheduled to be for the One FC Malaysian national championship.

Yeoh told MMAWeekly.com that the claiming the title would not only boost his MMA career, but also help him get others interested in the sport.

“I think it will solidify my status in Malaysia and I will use the title to springboard me further in my career,” he said. “I want to continue to inspire teenagers in Malaysia.

“I have a day job as a teacher that I love, I have a family and I get to compete for Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization all at the same time. So there is no excuse for anybody to not be putting all their effort into training hard and dedicating themselves to the sport while they are still young.”