By Hassiba Makour

I want to tell you about my son, Adam. His story is, ultimately, one of incredible victories; but the path there was deeply painful, and as his family, we often felt utterly lost. Adam was bullied relentlessly, starting perhaps as far back as kindergarten. I don’t remember the exact moment it began, but I remember the constant hurt he carried.

We were clueless; we tried everything. I had countless, futile meetings with the school and the teachers. I even went to the district office. We tried to change schools, but it just wasn’t possible. As an immigrant at that time, I felt a desperate, isolating hopelessness. “I felt like I was failing him,” I used to think, convinced I couldn’t protect my son from the daily anguish. The Fight Back Begins Then, the turning point.

At 11, we enrolled him in martial arts. It wasn’t an instant fix, but slowly, surely, we saw a change.  He immersed himself in training, discovering a resilience he never knew he possessed. He excelled in every discipline. The moment he truly started gaining confidence, the bullies’ words and actions became meaningless background noise. “Winning taught me how strong I actually was,” he once told me. His success was stunning. Two years ago, he was wrestling for his high school, and he earned the coveted Iron Man Trophy. He broke his elbow mid-match but kept fighting, refusing to quit, and securing a crucial spot for the team in the final tournament. Wrestling was a steppingstone. Adam soon declared his passion: Muay Thai. He loved it; it was the next, inevitable chapter in his life. The Leap of Faith: Thailand His confidence became absolute.

At just 17, he made the biggest decision of his young life: he would move to Thailand to turn pro. He knew the opportunities weren’t here in Columbus. It was terrifying to see him go, but he was determined. He left school and enrolled in online classes, making commitment to his career. He lived by himself in a foreign country, working relentlessly, sometimes fighting opponents twice his age in huge arenas. He wasn’t just fighting; he was winning, earning his title as one of the only young, non-Thai competitors at that level. He came home and continued his success, fighting in Canada and winning, now proudly backed by an Australian sponsor.

A Wish for Columbus, Ohio Adam, who just turned 19, is now getting calls and offers from premier gyms in Thailand. Recently, a gym in Phuket offered him a two-year contract. My heart aches with a parent’s dilemma. I desperately hope he doesn’t sign it. He has so much talent, and he believes, as I do, that Columbus can be the next major hub for Muay Thai. “We have the fighters here, Mom. We just need a city that can help unite all these big names,” he says. This is my sincere wish, shared on LinkedIn: I hope an opportunity, a sponsor, or a connection here in the States will allow him to stay.

I want Adam to create the next generation of resilient fighters, built on the lessons he learned, right here in Columbus, Ohio. You can add this: Career Highlights and Statistics Total Fights: Adam has a combined record of 27 fights. Professional Record: 11 wins, 2 losses (13 fights total). Amateur Record: 7 wins, 1 loss (8 fights total). Finishes: He has secured 5 TKO/KO finishes. High-Level Wins: He has defeated a WBC champion, an IFMA finalist, and a two-time finisher (by TKO). Notable Opponents: Fought in Canada against Jacob Ordonez, an IFMA placed fighter and finalist from Canada. Wrestling Award: Earned the Iron Man Trophy in high school wrestling.

International Experience and Training Professional Fights in Thailand: Fought three times on the Raja Knockout promotion, including events at the famous Rajadamnern Stadium (Hanhaka Thai Fight and New Power Group) and in Pattaya. Training Camps: Spent 10 months at Kaewsamrit Gym and 4 months at Venom Training Camp in Thailand. Upcoming Schedule and Goals 2026 Fights Planned: Adam has fights scheduled for “War on the Short” in Queensland, Australia, and the Warriors Cup in New York. Goal: Adam seeks local sponsorship to establish Columbus, Ohio, as a premier hub for the next generation of Muay Thai talent.

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