7 Things You Should Know About Ann Osman, Malaysia's First Female Muslim MMA Fighter

Young, attractive, ambitious, the charismatic Ann Osman makes a good ambassador for women MMA in Asia.


1. Born in Sabah, 28-year-old Ann Osman is the first top-tier Muslim female Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter




2. In November 2014, TIME magazine named Ann as one of their new class of Next Generation Leaders





3. Ann had her first amateur MMA competition in 2012, following which she received an offer from ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC), Asia's dominant MMA promoter, in August 2013




4. Besides MMA fighting, Ann owns a travel adventure company called Borneo Paddles, which she started with a partner in Sabah





5. Ann has also modelled for retail and fashion brands




6. In October 2014, she became the first Muslim woman to compete in a professional MMA fight in a Muslim country when she faced Egypt's Aya Saeid Saber in KL




7. Ann, who says there is nothing un-Islamic about her fighting career, won her first professional MMA fight on the same day as Merdeka Day