Maurice Abbey's fierce fighting spirit can be traced directly from his childhood.
Competition has been deeply ingrained in this Swiss standout's life since his youth, which ultimately led him to the ONE Championship and “Warrior” Zhang Li-Pen at ONE Fight Night 22 on Prime Video This became the driving force that led to the confrontation.
There were times in his life when Abevi could have given up on his goal of success in MMA, but he always had a fire in his heart and never thought about anything else other than chasing his dreams. .
Before he returns to the Lumpini Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, May 3, let's find out what started the 24-year-old's journey into combat.
growing up in zurich
Abevi was born in a suburb of Zurich, Switzerland, with his parents, his twin brother Jonas, and two older brothers.
His father was an asylum seeker from Togo, whom he met while his mother was volunteering at a refugee center translating the Bible from German to French.
As in the film's story, the two fell in love and got married once Abevi's father was legally allowed to stay in Switzerland, and his father resumed his work as a tailor.
Abevi said, recalling fond memories from his childhood.
“Zurich is a really peaceful place. [there’s] lots of nature. And it's also suitable for family matters. Although it was close to the city, it was still rural. So I grew up there. I lived in the same house for 20 years.
“We were playing soccer, goofing around, doing stupid things, getting in trouble, a lot of things.”
The rising star knew from an early age that academics were not her strong suit, and sought to pursue more active pursuits.
he added:
“I was always passionate about sports. I played soccer for 12 years from the age of four. I wanted to be a professional soccer player, but halfway through I lost interest. But I always He was very athletic, always trying to move his body, always trying to do something.
“I'm a smart person, but I don't like sitting for long periods of time, so I don't think I was good at academia. If I sit too much, I get tired and can't concentrate on things. It's in great condition.”
Forged by sibling rivalry
One of the ways Abevi stayed active was by having daily fights with his twin, Jonas.
At the time, it was just brothers doing what brothers do, but later in life the Swiss fighter realized that this was something that fed his competitive spirit.
He explained:
“We were always fighting with each other. For example, one guy would steal another guy's Nintendo, cell phone, etc., and the other guy would try to get it back, and all of a sudden we'd just end up fighting. We didn't care about Nintendo anymore.
“We've always been competitive and that's a big part of my overall attitude. I feel like my older brother was always a better fighter or a better football player and that That always made me angry. I always competed with him and tried to get better. So I'm still really hungry.”
Although the two enjoyed boxing, they later became interested in mixed martial arts through video games and tried out their moves in real life, but the first time they walked through a gym door was a more serious event.
Until then, they had just been fooling around, but an unfortunate night on the streets of downtown Zurich spurred the 17-year-olds into action.
Abevi recalls:
“We used to play games on the PlayStation and it was a lot of fun. We started competing with it, and then me and my brother started watching it more and more and experimenting with techniques as well.
“One day we were jumped by guys who just wanted to hit us. We were on the street at night and some guys attacked us. It was just 6 guys and 2 of us. They beat us up and it was a learning experience for us.
“We were like, 'We don't want this to happen again.'” The next day, we started looking for an MMA gym. So I found 360 Martial Arts and that was the first gym I started going to. That was amazing. ”
amazing talent
It was clear from the first session that these rowdy duo knew the sport. Abevi went there and remembered what he learned from competing and watching games, and how he beat out the other white belts in the gym with the moves he created.
But by attending classes, they took it to the next level. They trained every day and quickly improved. But it was another moment from his brother in the first game that caught fire.
Abevi said:
“About three months into our training, we started with a grappling tournament. Funnily enough, it was a submission-only tournament, so me and my brother both made it to the finals. .
“We fought hard for the final and he put me down with an armbar. It was a tough day for me. I was happy for him. I loved him. There was no bad blood or anything, but I was still like, “I have to do better.''
Abevi's twin, Jonas, is still training and may compete again, but he similarly didn't get bitten by the bug.
The Tiger Muay Thai and 360 Martial Arts athlete dropped everything to pursue success in MMA, giving up his carpentry apprenticeship and taking odd jobs just to earn the money he needed to train.
Looking back on their different trajectories, he said:
“My brother still loves MMA. We talk about it a lot and it's still a really big passion for him. But for him to say, 'Okay, this is my purpose in life' Not like me. And at this point in my life, I don't want to do anything else.
“Maybe a year into training and getting better and better, I realized that's what I wanted to do. People told me, 'You have potential.' You can be anything. ” I was thinking, “What if I try this and it doesn’t work?” And I thought it's better to try and fail than not to try at all. And now I'm here. ”
rapid success
Abevi was one of the first to break into the professional ranks, and his hard work earned him the opportunities he desired.
After just one professional match, he was given the chance to compete in a five-fight tournament for a prize of 10,000 euros.
The Swiss star lit up the tournament with five consecutive finishes, and as soon as he received his check, he headed to Thailand and did everything in his power to reach the top.
He recalled:
“That was the turning point. I thought, 'Okay, I can make a living with this.' Then I moved to Thailand and stayed there.
“I still struggle sometimes and I don't live a luxurious life, but now I'm able to overcome it and live. I train, eat, sleep, and that's enough.'' is.”
Abevi signed his ONE contract while competing in Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket before sustaining a serious knee injury that sidelined him for 18 months and derailed all his momentum.
But he knew he wouldn't give up and stayed the course, eventually making his debut against Khalil Amir in April 2023. Although the result didn't go as planned, the pair played one of the most memorable matches of the year, with Abevi emerging victorious. He returned to the winning track by defeating Blake Cooper in September of the same year.
Now, as he prepares to take on Zhang, his most experienced opponent to date, the 24-year-old's vision is clearer than ever and he wants to continue his upward trajectory on the world stage.
He said:
“Even during my injury, I knew there was no going back. I know this is the way I am. This is my life, and there was never a possibility of me giving up.
“I feel so blessed, dude. I know and appreciate how many fighters would love to be in my position.”
