This Relentless Malaysian Fighter is Winning At Life
Nuriman Efendiev talks about a life dedicated to fighting challenges on and off the arena
The fighter who embodies willpower
Nuriman Efendiev is a fighting machine. At just 24, he’s done taekwondo, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. And currently, he’s a wrestler representing Malaysia on the global stage.
Suffice to say, he’s been beaten up in life more times than the average guy. The injuries have been aplenty: a broken thumb, a torn ligament, and a busted eyelid, among others.
And yet he keeps on going, for the love of martial arts. In fact, he relishes the action so much that, ironically, he keeps a healthy distance from it. Outside arenas, Nuriman works in business development for a functional food and beverage company.
And as if he doesn’t have enough reasons to keep himself in peak physical form, he’s also a model and content creator. “I want to build a holistic career and have a solid foundation, so that I can do martial arts for life,” he says.
Nuriman advocates for consistency—of showing up and doing the work, no matter how stacked the odds are against you. “I always approach matches with the mindset that I’m going to win,” he shares. By facing challenges head on, he believes that paths to victory—or a lesson for next time—will eventually reveal themselves.
Case in point: a wrestling match where he fought someone much bigger than him. “He easily threw me across the mat,” Nuriman recalls. At that point, he knew he had to be strategic—instead of sheer power, he had to find a way to outbalance his opponent. “I got up and thought carefully about my next move.”
In the next round of the same competition, Nuriman broke his thumb, and officials had to stop the fight. “I was so scared at the sight of my thumb—I didn’t know what to do. But all I thought at that moment was: if I quit right now, I would waste all of my training and effort.” So, Nuriman had his thumb worked on and proceeded with the match. In the end, he won gold.
“I’m quite stubborn. I don’t like giving up. If I could push myself further, physically or mentally, I will. I always go full force, but if I really need a break, I allow myself to do so,” he says. For him, It’s less about hating to lose than wanting to go the extra mile.
“I don’t take my losses too seriously. Growing up with martial arts, I always face setbacks, so I take those in stride.”
Nuriman draws strength from many sources to keep on fighting in life. First, there’s music: he listens to Larry June every day, resonating with the American rapper’s bars on working hard and being the best version of yourself. “Oh, and classical music, too,” he quips—presumably for concentration.
Next, his family. “They’re one of my biggest motivators. I owe it to myself and to them to be the best person that I can be. They help me toughen up mentally so I could push through with training.”
He also keeps Malaysian wrestling, arguably a young sport in a football and badminton-dominated country, always in mind.
“It was only last September 2024 that Malaysia competed internationally for United World Wrestling, and I’m proud to be part of the pioneering national team. I’m excited to see it grow—for sure, it’s going to get bigger here.
And lastly, on a different plane of existence, Allah.
“My father is adamant on teaching me the ways of becoming a better Muslim. He always tells me to go to Allah, and that has become a habit. I talk to him every day to keep myself guided.”
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