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Martial arts fighter Sunoto aims to promote dangdut, batik on global stage
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Local wisdom: Indonesian fighter Sunoto (left) attends the ONE: CENTURY official face-off before his fight against South Korean Kwon Won-Il in Tokyo, in 2019. ( ONE Championship)
“The Terminator” Sunoto will make the most of his opportunity to represent Indonesia by promoting two of the most iconic parts of the country’s heritage when he fights on ONE Championship‘s global stage this Friday.
At ONE: BAD BLOOD, which is broadcasted to over 150 countries from Singapore Indoor Stadium, the 36-year-old mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter will face Myanmar’s Tial Thang in a three-round bantamweight bout.
“In this fight, I would really like to have dangdut as my walkout music," the former karate champion said recently.
“That's the music I grew up listening to. I usually enjoyed it with my dad when I was a kid, to this day it still remains my favorite genre. Dangdut is the music I listen to when I exercise," he said.
Born and raised in Blora, Central Java, Sunoto has listened to many dangdut songs in recent years. But two singers that really stick out for him are Via Vallen and the late Didi Kempot – a legendary campursari singer-songwriter who passed away two years ago.
“One of my all-time favorites is the late Didi Kempot. His songs are easy to listen to and the lyrics are deep. He’s one of a kind, and his lyrics really represent how the brokenhearted feel,” Sunoto explained.
"I also like Via Vallen. She is on a meteoric rise, and her song titled ‘Sayang’ is phenomenal. She has covered a lot of other popular songs too,” he added.
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While their songs have become a part of Sunoto’s daily routine, he wants to elevate them to the next level, to get the genre exposed to martial arts fans from around the globe.
“I want to use Via Vallen’s song as my next walkout song,” he said, adding that he would welcome the possibility to collaborate more in the future.
“Listening to dangdut music before the fight would give me added motivation, while at the same time [I would be] introducing her to the world. She deserves to have more people from around the world listening to her songs.”
“Dangdut is the music of my country,” he added.
Since joining ONE Championship in 2015, Sunoto has become one of the longest-serving athletes at “the home of martial arts”. He has collected 10 victories so far – the most out of all Indonesians in the rosters.
A win against Tial Thang would clear the way for him to reach the upper echelon of the bantamweight division and make his case to become the first Indonesian to claim a title shot.
While he understands that his main objective on Friday is to finish his opponent in a defined fashion, he also wants to use the opportunity to promote another Indonesian tradition he loves.
“I always feel comfortable wearing batik at any ONE Championship event, and I feel like I am truly representing Indonesia when I wear it,” he said.
“It’s an important opportunity to showcase our culture on the ONE Championship global stage,” he added.
Watch ONE: BAD BLOOD on Feb. 11 on the ONE Super App and subscribe to ONE Championship on YouTube!
This article is published in collaboration with ONE Championship.
