First Singaporean in fight club

Royston is the first Singaporean to ever sign a deal with UFC

Contact sports and mixed martial arts enthusiasts can look forward to UFC launching its first tournament here, and with Singaporean representation

Royston Wee, 27 years old, has been a professional fighter for five and a half years. Come Jan 4, 2014, he will make his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ring.

UFC is one of the largest mixed martial arts promotion companies and hosts many of the top-ranked fighters. UFC Fight Night Singapore is the first UFC tournament to be held in Singapore.

In this renowned fight club of international combatants, Royston will square off against feisty Filipino Dave Galera. Royston is the first Singaporean to ever sign a deal with UFC. This is undoubtedly a milestone for Singapore, as well as a momentous occasion for him.

In recent reports, the bantamweight fighter has shown confidence, and his “trash talk” has been quoted saying that he is “better than (Dave) in all areas”. This despite holding three wins shy of his opponent, who has a win record of 5-0.

We speak to him and find out what it’s like to be the first Singaporean fighting in UFC.

How did you become interested in Mixed Martial Arts?

I always thought of learning martial arts as a way to protect myself, keep fit and see how far I can push myself. I happened to see “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 on Spike TV a long way back and thought it was interesting, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Do you have one style you favour over others?

I like everything. I consider myself more of a generalist. It depends which type of fighter I’m fighting with.

In terms of style, it depends on who Royston is up against

Describe a typical day for you.

I wake up in the morning and have a small meal. Then, I head to the gym for a session. I eat again and take a nap.

I have another small meal when I get up and read some book or watch some clips before heading back for another training session, and ending with a stretch and shower.

Then, I have a rewarding meal and start the whole process again the next day. I just train, sleep and eat.

How do you manage to balance your social life and your training?

I only hang out with a close group of friends who are my main entourage.

Other than training, I usually stay at home on weekends and watch movies and read. This is me usually, so it’s fine.

Which is your favourite entrance song?

I have a few favourites. But I especially like rap and hip-hop, such as Eminem and 50-cent.

Royston has been training every day to prepare

If you could come up with your own fight name, what would it be?

A lot of people have been asking me about my fight name, even my close friends. But no matter how hard I think I still can’t think of one.

Maybe not now, we’ll see how after my next few fights.

What do you have to say to your fans in Singapore?

I’m truly grateful and thankful to my supporters out there; even if I don’t know them and they don’t know me, these people still stand up for me.

I hope my fight in the UFC will be a good show on Jan 4.

Catch Royston make his debut, and other fights, in the inaugural UFC Fight Night Singapore on Jan 4 at Marina Bay Sands.

Visit www.marinabaysands.com/ticketing for more details and tickets.