[div class=”notice” class2=”icon”]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
It’s always exciting when a world class striker decides to make the transition to MMA and the only question is whether they will be sufficiently well rounded to survive in a different discipline of fighting. Adam Kayoom has been thriving at multiple martial arts for over a decade, he is a Taekwondo national champion, a two time Muay Thai world champion and a Muay Khmer champion.
With such a diverse range of titles in stand up fighting you might expect Kayoom to be much more comfortable fighting on his feet but he has a BJJ pedigree which is equally impressive with a black belt as well as gold medals from major national tournaments in both Australia and Brazil. There’s no point trying to take the Malaysian outside of his comfort zone because he is comfortable everywhere as Seok Mo Kim discovered to his cost at DARE Championship in Bangkok this weekend.
The Korean gave a good account of himself against Gregor Gracie at One Fighting Championship 1, losing a decision but frustrating the Brazilian who was unable to submit him despite repeated attempts. He was looking to get back on the winning track against Kayoom who despite having too many titles, medals and trophies to list was only 1-1 in MMA going into this fight.
Kayoom is a BJJ teacher at the Q23 Academy and the founder of American Top Team (Thailand) and the sold out crowd in his adopted home of Bangkok included many of his students. He put on a performance which will not only have sent them all home happy but will have welterweights all over the region looking nervously over their shoulders.
Gracie couldn’t submit Seok in 15 minutes but it took Kayoom less than five to sink in a fight finishing rear naked choke. It was a perfect demonstration of what a fighter who brings both ground fighting ability and stand up skills into the cage can do as the Kuala Lumpur born south paw dropped his opponent with a straight left hand which landed with laser like accuracy before finishing him with the submission.
