The War In Singapore! USA vs. Afghanistan at Martial Combat 4

Warring nations will collide in Singapore next week when Cyrus Washington takes on Malik Mawlayi at Martial Combat 4. Mawlayi hails from war torn Afghanistan whereas Washington is from the USA.

This eagerly anticipated international lightweight bout will be the main attraction of the fourth Martial Combat event to take place in Singapore. Mixed martial arts is gradually growing in popularity in South East Asia and a sell out crowd is expected at Resorts World Sentosa.

There are tens of thousands of US troops currently in Afghanistan but there will only be two men in the Martial Combat cage on June 17th. While neither man has strong political views they are both intensely patriotic and proud to be representing their respective countries on the international stage.

"You don't hear many good things about Afghanistan these days and this is my chance to show the world that something good can come out of Afghanistan. Afghan people are warriors, we never give up and this is something which I have in my blood, I will never give up," said Mawlayi.

Washington is also looking forward to flying the flag for his country in Singapore.

"Anytime you get an opportunity to represent your country on an international stage it is a great experience. I see this as a chance to showcase my abilities and prove to the world that America is a nation full of fighting spirit," he said.

Washington is based at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket and Mawlayi is at Legacy Gym in Ubon Ratchatani. Both men have black belts in Taekwonowdo and both men now live and train in Thailand but the similarities end there. Washington is primarily a Muay Thai fighter who views MMA more as an opportunity to showcase his striking talents than a full time career choice.

Mawlayi is a much more evolved mixed martial artist. He has a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and is a Scandinavian amateur MMA champion. He has had 20 Muay Thai fights since moving to Thailand but remains first and foremost a ground fighter.

Washington has excellent technique which comes from years of studying first Taekwondo and then Muay Thai. He also has incredible power and athleticism, natural attributes which no amount of training can achieve. Quite simply Washington is genetically gifted and when he applies these techniques he is able to do so with the sort of force very few human beings are able to achieve.

The results are frequently devastating. Washington is a veteran of 50 Muay Thai fights and the majority of them have ended with him winning by way of knock out. Whether inside the ring or the cage he is always calm and composed and will not explode into action until the time is right. Washington can afford to be a patient predator because with his prodigious power he knows he is capable of finishing any fight in an instant.

Mawlayi may come from a grappling background but he has won 15 of his 20 Muay Thai fights by knock out and, like Washington, has an array of exciting, unconventional tricks. While Washington is a methodical and technical stand up fighter Mawlayi is an out and out brawler who claims he would like nothing more than to test his stand up skills aganst the American,

"If he wants to stand up with me that is fine. Let's do it. If he has seen my highlight reel and my spinning back kicks and heavy right hands he will probably be scared to stand toe to toe with me," he said.

A stand up battle is exactly what Washington is looking for but he is not convinced that Mawlayi will make it happen,

"Let's not kid ourselves, Malik can say anything he wants to say to hype the fight, but he is not going to stand and trade with me. He will look to make the bout a hugging contest as fast as possible and bring it to the ground, instead of giving the crowd the exciting war they deserve. He can't compete with me standing. He will have no choice but to try and take me down," he said.

One dimensional fighters will only go so far in the sport of MMA. While Washington is undoubtedly an outstanding striker his lack of a ground game will make him extremely vulnerable if Mawlayi can take the fight to the floor.

Patriotic pride is at stake and these two warriors will both be looking to send out a statement to the world with a spectacular stoppage win. Washington knows that his best chance of victory is with a quick knockout and Mawlayi is determined to demonstrate that he too has knockout power. Expect some early fireworks with both men looking to stand and slug it out from the opening bell.

For more information about Martial Combat visit: www.rwmartialcombat.com.