Savvas Michael's name has long been overshadowed by his foe Rodtang Jitmuangnon in the lead up to their fight at One Fight Night 1: Moraes v Johnson II on Aug 27 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
"The Baby Face Killer" will take on the One flyweight Muay Thai world champion in the semi-finals of the One flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix, where the Cypriot will yet again try to prove himself against one of the top athletes in the division.
Michael may be less experienced than "The Iron Man," but he has just as much heart as his Thai opponent, which he put on display against Amir Naseri in the quarter-finals in May.
The 23-year-old spent the majority of the bout picking Naseri apart, stalking him around the circle while attacking with blistering shots and getting out range before his Iranian-Malaysian challenger could respond.
Michael is confident that he will also give Rodtang one of the hardest fights the Thai has had to date in the organisation.
"I do know that I am a hard fight for Rodtang because I'm long and I have power. Now that I'm older, I've trained alongside a lot of fighters in Thailand. I'm being guided by the best fighters in the industry who know how to counter their fellow fighters. I will use their pointers to stay disciplined in my training so that when fight day comes, I will be 100 percent focused on beating him," he said.
Michael now calls Petchyindee Academy in Bangkok home, and was under the gym's guidance for his acclaimed performance against Naseri, who is an Omnoi Stadium world champion.
He also holds WMC and WBC world titles, and a multiple-time European champion.
Michael's time in One came as a result of his commitment and dedication to becoming an elite-level athlete.
After years of hard work, he is now ready for his time to shine and is using the Grand Prix to put on the performances of a lifetime.
"I sacrificed my whole life being away from home most of the time. Therefore, there's nothing to worry about for the next nine minutes. You always show up in training and do every sacrifice possible. So, I just go in there and perform," he said.
"That's how I am at this stage. I've trained non-stop for months to do well over the next nine minutes. That mindset gets me in the zone quickly.
"I've done everything and there's nothing else to do but to get the job done."