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Eko Roni Saputra trounces poverty through MMA
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Ready to rumble: Indonesian mixed martial arts (MMA) athlete Eko Roni Saputra, of Singapore’s Evolve MMA, smiles in this undated photograph. He faces Thailand’s Yodkaikaew “Y2K” Faitex on Oct. 21 in Kuala Lumpur, which he plans to dedicate to his late father-in-law, his “biggest supporter”. (Courtesy of ONE Championship)
H
em>Having triumphed over childhood poverty through his successes as an Evolve MMA athlete, the flyweight fighter from Samarinda has big dreams of contributing to the sport’s development in his home country.
Eko Roni Saputra, a.k.a. “Dynamite”, is one of the country’s most notable flyweight mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters.
Born in East Kalimantan in 1991, the Samarinda native had the cards stacked against him as a child. His father, Roehani, was a local fish trader who went bankrupt in the early 2000s, when Eko was still in elementary school. Knowing that his family wouldn’t be able to survive financially, Eko decided to pursue a career as a professional wrestler in 2009 with his first coach, Roehani.
Now 31, the athlete has since represented Indonesia in numerous international competitions, such as the Southeast Asian Games, winning bronze and silver medals. But none of those triumphs have led to financial security, as he could only depend on the prize money and corporate sponsorships, which “wasn’t enough to support his family”.
Eko saw an opportunity in 2018, when he decided to switch gears and become an MMA athlete: He joined Evolve MMA’s training academy at the premier brand’s Singapore headquarters and took part in ONE 162, one of the sport’s most prestigious events.
Eko and his family now live in Singapore, where he is focusing on his career with Evolve MMA.
Fighting times
On Oct. 21, Eko has a bout against Thailand’s Yodkaikaew “Y2K” Faitex in Kuala Lumpur, which also marks the Indonesian athlete’s comeback since he suffered an arm injury last March.
“I feel [that] being a part of the [Evolve MMA] team helped me grow, and all I have to do now is show this,” Eko shared during his interview with an online media outlet on Oct. 14.
The upcoming match will be different from all other matches, as his father-in-law Rudiansyah Noor, a staunch supporter of his professional ambitions, passed away a few weeks ago. Rudiansyah had also supported Eko and his family during the toughest times, when Eko was making a meager income and didn’t have enough money to buy milk for his son.
“I’ll dedicate my win to my late father-in-law, who has been [my biggest supporter] throughout my career,” said Eko.
Before embarking on his MMA career, he continued, his salary simply couldn’t cover his family’s needs.
“So my in-laws covered our living expenses, and I was [also] living with them in their house [in Samarinda]. Before he passed, [Rudiansyah] asked me how my career was going in Singapore. Honestly, I wanted so much to return home, but it was not meant to be,” Eko recounted.
His situation has improved vastly since, and he could receive a bonus of at least US$50,000 for a single bout. This has allowed him to give back to the sporting community by investing in younger athletes.
Eko knows all too well that they need a lot of support to develop their talents. The experience he has gained from living and making a name for himself in Singapore has also given him a clear view of the differences between his life and that of the athletes trying to make a living in his home country.
Looking at the great difference in how much he earns today, he said, “I’m thankful to be able to earn the money that I do now and to raise my family.”
Eko also revealed that he had purchased three plots of land in his hometown of Samarinda that were worth over Rp 1 billion ($70,000), and that he planned to build a state-of-the-art MMA training center there. It would have a gym equipped with “the best” facilities and equipment, including mats, a sauna and a Jacuzzi to help athletes rehabilitate and recover faster from injury.
Building Indonesia’s MMA
Eko expressed his hope for a joint effort to support the MMA industry in Indonesia. He believed that the lack of local development in MMA was mainly because few competitions were held at the national level to generate a crop of younger athletes.
“Other countries have already developed their MMA athletes, and [many] compete internationally. In Indonesia, even though there are a lot of local talents, many promotions only involve fighters from abroad,” he added.
With sufficient collective support for the industry, Indonesia’s MMA athletes would be able to live well and develop their skills further.
“Most Indonesian parents are scared when their children start getting into MMA,” Eko said, as the sport was reputed to lead to a life of misery. “But it’s different when you’re a pro, you get paid more. Not that I’m comparing, but I hope that parents of Indonesian athletes will be more supportive of their children’s interest in MMA.”
As for the industry as a whole, he said it needed to develop funding for both amateur and professional athletes. “When I was in the national league, I barely got paid,” he recalled.
Finally, he reminded young MMA athletes that inside the ring, it was nothing personal.
His MMA friends had beaten him during a bout, “but this is a fighting [sport]”, he stressed. “We’re friends outside the ring, but we show our best professionalism inside the ring.”
In the meantime, Eko is on a quest for more professional milestones.
“Entering the top 5 for sure. That’s my ultimate goal right now,” he said.
