‘You Can Chase Your Dreams More’ – Swiss MMA Star Maurice Abevi Opens Up About His Critical Move To Thailand

Fresh off his impressive first-round TKO win over the previously undefeated Samat Mamedov in January, Switzerland’s Maurice Abevi will soon look to continue his winning streak and plant his flag as the lightweight MMA division’s top contender.

The 25-year-old will square off with Alibeg Rasulov in U.S. primetime on June 6 at ONE Fight Night 32: Rodrigues vs. Cohen on Prime Video in a pivotal showdown with World Title implications.

That event takes place at the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand – the perfect venue for Abevi, who now calls the country home.

Currently training out of both Phuket Grappling Academy and Tiger Muay Thai, the well-rounded scrapper previously made the bold decision to leave his homeland and pursue his goals of martial arts greatness in Southeast Asia.

He spoke to onefc.com about what changed after moving from Switzerland to Thailand:

“There’s a big difference in the lifestyle. Everything in Switzerland is on point. Everything is fast and on point. Nobody is late. Everything is dialed in. You get up and go to work at the same time every day.

“Here in Thailand, it’s a little more free. You can decide your schedule differently. Things are much cheaper here, and you chase your dreams more. And of course, the weather!”

Unsurprisingly, there’s a stark cultural contrast between the two nations. Those differences aside, Abevi’s decision to relocate was driven by necessity as much as a desire for adventure.

The MMA scene in his home country, he said, simply couldn’t give him the opportunities he needed to grow as a professional competitor:

“I knew there were a lot of fighters and coaches in Thailand, but there is no future for MMA fighters in Switzerland. The culture of martial arts is not big back home. I knew some people here already, and it was just so attractive to me.”

The move has clearly paid dividends.

After suffering a defeat in his promotional debut back in 2023, Abevi has rattled off a trio of dominant wins, and his decimation of Mamedov erased any doubts that he’s a serious World Title threat.

Still, Abevi’s move to Thailand wasn’t without challenges. It’s no surprise that rebuilding a life from scratch in an unfamiliar country with an entirely different language and culture was difficult:

“I had a hard time when I first moved here. I had some personal issues back home, so moving here was a fresh start for me. A new chapter. I was just excited to get out here and do something new and scary.

“I didn’t really know anybody, and it was a challenge to get outside of my comfort zone, but now I have built something here. I have come far, but I can go even further.”

From Fighting To Content Creation

Maurice Abevi is finding new ways to share his life in Thailand with fans, and it’s sparked a new venture – podcasting.

The Swiss athlete launched his own show, “The Abevi Podcast,” to document his own fighting journey and share stories from fascinating guests along the way.

While he’d love to devote more time to the podcast, he is passionate about the new project:

“I started a podcast because I felt like I met a lot of people here with stories to tell, and I wanted to get their perspective about training, fighting, and Thailand. I thought I could have good conversations with people to share with the world.

“It’s something I’d wanted to do for a long time. Then one day I just thought, ‘F*** it, let’s do it!’ I just need to be more consistent with it around my career, which keeps me busy, but it’s something I really enjoy.”

The podcast gives fans an intriguing glimpse into Abevi’s life in Asia and his unique mindset when it comes to martial arts.

He’s already hosted several guests from the MMA world, but there’s one dream interview that he hopes to land one day:

“I’d love to have Georges St-Pierre on my podcast. His championship mindset and everything he conquered in the sport. I’d love to sit down and hear his story first-hand and pick his brain. I’m sure I could learn a lot from him and his mentality. He’s big into meditation and mentality, too.”