Rifdean Masdor Issues Formal Apology, Vows Greater Maturity
ONE Championship Muay Thai fighter takes "full responsibility" and says emotional pressure is not a justification for his actions
Malaysian Muay Thai fighter Rifdean Masdor has issued an official, open apology over a statement he recently posted on social media, taking full responsibility and pledging to manage pressure and emotions better in future.
The statement, headed "Official Statement of Apology" and signed by the ONE Championship athlete, is addressed to everyone affected by his earlier post.
Rifdean said the earlier statement was made when he was in an emotionally unstable state because of the pressure he was under. In that state, he admitted, he failed to control his emotions and did not give the matter the proper consideration before going public.
He was quick to add that emotional pressure does not excuse what he did.
The fighter said that as a professional athlete representing himself, his family, his team and his country, he should show greater maturity, discipline and responsibility, both inside and outside the arena.
He apologised if the statement offended anyone, caused misunderstanding or let anyone down, singling out those who have supported his career throughout.
Rifdean said he takes full responsibility for his actions and will treat the episode as a meaningful lesson in his life and career. He committed to managing pressure and emotions better so that it does not happen again.
He closed by asking for the space and opportunity to work on his shortcomings and to keep proving himself as a more mature, disciplined, and professional athlete, and thanked people for the criticism, advice, and support he has received.
The apology does not describe the content of the original post or what prompted it, and this report does not speculate on either. It also does not mention any response from ONE Championship or the Muay Thai Association of Malaysia.
Nicknamed "Magic Boy", Rifdean is a three-time world champion in the under-23 category and one of Malaysia's most closely watched Muay Thai prospects. He earned a US$100,000 ONE Championship contract at The Inner Circle 19 earlier this year, knocking out Iran's Javad Mozafari in the first round of their atomweight bout.
Credit Photo : ONE
