ONE Championship announced the addition of featherweights Eddie Abasolo and Mohamed Younes Rabah to the ONE 169 lineup on Friday, November 8.
The two strikers will throw down on the massive event in the hopes of jumping into title contention at featherweight. But the road to ONE 169 was not easy for Rabah.
Having a large family w ithout a large income meant the Algerian had to develop his work ethic at an early age.
“I had a very hard childhood. We lived at my grandparent’s house with numerous uncles and aunts. Then we moved into a small house with eight siblings in a tough neighborhood. My father worked as a teacher, striving to provide for our large family as the sole breadwinner,” Rabah told ONE.
“Money was tight, so I had to start working at a young age to support myself and help my family.”
Rabah was always involved in sports growing up. Still, he lacked a passion for any one in particular until he discovered kickboxing. From there, a love for martial arts was discovered.
“I played football for a while but found myself craving something more intense. That’s when I tried my hand at karate, but the non-contact aspect didn’t quite resonate with me,” the Algerian remarked.
“It wasn’t until I stumbled upon kickboxing at the age of 13, through a humble gym in my town, that I truly discovered my passion for martial arts.”
Inspired by luminaries of the sport, Rabah decided he wanted to chase his dream of becoming a pro athlete.
“The Eagle” had the maturity to know he needed to spend more time training if he wanted to capitalize on his potential and make that dream a reality.
“Watching legends like Badr Hari ignited a fire within me, and I began envisioning myself competing at their level, starting from that very same small gym,” Rabah stated.
“I quickly realized that hitting the gym three times a week wasn’t going to cut it. So, I got creative. I set up this janky punching bag in my house using old tires and my worn-out gloves.”
“Every single day, I was in there, working out solo and studying the pros’ moves. I became kinda obsessed with getting better, even back then.”
The beginning of his journey as a professional displayed his commitment to greatness. Rabah sacrificed many things to pursue success at the highest level and was willing to take the long road to the top.
“In pursuit of my dreams, I made the leap from my small town to the bustling capital city of Algiers, searching for new opportunities,” the 27-year-old said.
“It was a challenging time. I was on my own, juggling training with work. Initially, I took on the role of a shopkeeper, and during this period, I even found myself crashing in a friend’s university campus room, pushing through difficulties.”
Rabah showed his promise on the regional circuits with victories and title wins. However, he still wanted to make his way to the global stage.
“The Eagle” decided to make his way to Thailand, but to do so, he picked up a wide array of jobs until he could afford to jump to the mecca of Muay Thai.
“To fund my travels to Thailand and further my career, I ventured into car trading and took on additional hours as a salesman,” Rabah said.
“There was even a stint in Dubai where I found myself behind the wheel as a taxi driver, all while living and training at the gym. So yeah, I’ve had my fair share of jobs and hustles along the way to establish myself as a professional athlete.”
Now, in ONE, Rabah is finally getting recognition for his skills. The 27-year-old stunned Saemapetch Fairtex in his promotional debut to make an instant impact in the featherweight division.
The acclaim from fans is a startling revelation for Rabah, but one he hopes to continue building as he chases ultimate glory in ONE.
“It’s been wild to notice more people recognizing me on the streets of Bangkok. Now, folks even stop me for photos, which is kinda surreal but totally cool. The love from fans keeps me going, and I really appreciate every bit of it,” Rabah commented.
ONE 169 airs live and free on Prime Video at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Friday, November 8, to all Amazon Prime members based in the U.S. and Canada.