More Than A Fighter
From representing Singapore to mentoring the next generation, 17-year-old Cristian Marc Loh reflects on his young, yet remarkable journey in combat sports.
Think back to what you were doing when you were 17. You were probably studying, spending time with friends, or still figuring out what you wanted to do in life. For Cristian Marc Loh, life couldn’t have been more different.
Photo Credit: Cristian Marc Loh
Cristian's list of achievements makes it hard to believe he's only 17. He’s won multiple national medals in combat sports and represented Team Singapore in wrestling internationally.
Today, he works part-time as a kids wrestling instructor at Mamba Kotov Academy (MKA), while pursuing his Diploma in Sports and Wellness Management at Nanyang Polytechnic.
Where The Journey Began
Cristian was first introduced to combat sports at six with Taekwondo, but it wasn’t until three years later that his passion emerged. “When I was nine, I started to do Muay Thai because I liked watching World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE),” he recalled, “I thought it was real, so I wanted to learn how to fight.”
Photo Credit: Cristian Marc Loh
Even after learning that WWE was scripted, Cristian’s interest in combat sports didn’t fade. During secondary school, he started taking Muay Thai more seriously. He joined Evolve MMA, one of Asia’s most decorated MMA academies, and expanded into other martial arts including boxing, jiu-jitsu, and wrestling.
“I realised that if I wanted to be good in a fight overall, I needed to learn techniques like grappling and striking.”
Photo Credit: Cristian Marc Loh
As his skills developed, Cristian decided to test himself by taking part in several national competitions, including ADCC National Singapore 2023, WFS National Open and Team Trials 2024, and the SG Wrestling 16th Inter-Club Grappling Meet. It was at the latter competition where he realised he had a knack for wrestling.
“At the time, my opponent had trained in wrestling for nearly eight years, whereas I had only trained for two,” he shared. “Even though I lost my matches, I still managed to give him some fairly hard matches.”
Making The National Team
It wasn’t just Cristian who recognised his potential. At just 15, he won his first wrestling competition at Pesta Sukan 2024. His performance caught the eye of one of Singapore’s national wrestling coaches, who invited him to train with the national team. After several training sessions, Cristian officially joined the national team.
Photo Credit: Cristian Marc Loh
However, he didn’t truly feel like he belonged until he got his first chance to represent Singapore at the 2024 Southeast Asian Championship and Oceania Invitational.
“The coach gave me the team singlet and that's probably the moment when I realised that I’m a national team athlete,” Cristian recalled.
He placed second, but his proudest achievement was yet to come.
Photo Credit: Cristian Marc Loh
While part of the national team, he still found the time to represent himself in national competitions. In 2025, Cristian competed in the adult division of the WFS National Open and Team Trials. He clinched the goal medal, becoming one of Singapore’s youngest national wrestling champions.
Later that year, he would represent Singapore yet again, competing at the 2025 U17-U23 Asian Championships. Unfortunately, Cristian missed out on a podium finish and that would sadly be the last time he represented Singapore internationally.
Finding A New Purpose
In March 2025, Cristian suffered a calf infection that forced him out of training for several months. He rushed back before fully recovering in order to not miss the U17-U23 Asian Championships, competing despite the immense pain his body was in. Even after Cristian fully healed, the experience changed how he viewed wrestling.
He said that rushing back from recovery made competing feel more an obligation rather than something he genuinely enjoyed. “I tried to go back but training sessions were just not fun anymore, I started to really dislike the sport at that point in time,” he admitted.
“I thought that going back to training would help fix me, like hey I can still wrestle, I can still train.”
After the competition, Cristian took a long break and officially departed the national team in early 2026, but his journey in combat sports would be far from over.
Photo Credit: Cristian Marc Loh
During the break, Cristian took the opportunity to be an assistant Muay Thai coach at Tricolor MMA. “I didn’t want it to feel like my training had gone to waste,” he shared. “The national team’s coach felt the same way, so he invited me to be a coach at his private gym, Meerkats Wrestling Club.”
Currently, Cristian works at MKA. Being their youngest coach, he’s mainly a children’s instructor. Surprisingly, transitioning from an active competitor to a coach came naturally, but it wasn’t without its challenges. “The toughest part is probably having to know when to step in and help,” Cristian revealed.
Photo Credit: Cristian Marc Loh
Although he admitted that he missed training as an athlete, Cristian said that coaching has given him a deeper appreciation for combat sports.
“I have to break down the techniques and simplify them for the kids, which helped me better understand them as well,” he explained.
Through coaching, Cristian surrounds himself with far more experienced coaches, helping him become not just a better athlete, but also a better mentor.
A Different Outlook
It’s been over a year since Cristian suffered the infection that brought his national team career to an early end, but its impact still shapes his life today.
“I originally had a spot at Singapore Sports School, but after leaving the national team, I withdrew,” he revealed. “I didn’t see a purpose in going there if I wasn’t going to continue competing.”
Photo Credit: Cristian Marc Loh
If it hadn’t been for that setback, Cristian believes that he would still be competing as part of the national team today. Yet looking back, he doesn’t see it in an entirely negative way.
“Before, my whole identity was based around combat sports, but leaving the team helped me realise that I’m more than just a fighter,” Cristian reflected.
Photo Credit: Cristian Marc Loh
The time away from competition allowed Cristian to rediscover himself and rekindle his love for combat sports. He’s returned to wrestling with a different mindset, focusing less on results and more on having fun. As a coach, he also takes pride in supporting his students when they compete, finding fulfilment in their achievements.
“Separating wrestling from my identity has allowed me to enjoy it instead of seeing it as a chore.”
While his days as a national athlete have ended for now, Cristian’s journey in combat sports hasn’t. Set to make his return at Pesta Sukan 2026, he’ll be competing not for medals or recognition, but for the love of the sport.
