Eko Roni Saputra names two fighters as potentially Indonesia’s next big stars

‘Dynamite’ Eko Roni Saputra is widely considered Indonesia's biggest mixed martial arts star. However, the 30-year-old says the country also has a pair of young guns just waiting for their breakout moment on the big stage.

Eko Roni Saputra said strawweight sensation Adrian ‘Papua Badboy’ Mattheis and flyweight talent Elipitua ‘The Magician’ Siregar have the potential to become breakout MMA stars for Indonesia. All they need is the chance to prove themselves in big fights.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Eko Roni Saputra expressed high hopes for his country’s finest.

“I think Adrian [Mattheis] has big potential as he is still relatively young. He has star power as well and if he gets many fights, we’ll see his improvement. I think Elipitua Siregar has a good chance, too, to become a rising star. He has a solid background in wrestling. He hasn’t fought in a long time, but he remains active in Bali MMA so that should help."

Mattheis is 9-5 in his career thus far and has built himself a reputation as an all-action fighter. The 28-year-old, however, has spent most of his time in the Circle as a fringe contender and hasn’t faced any opponent of note since he debuted for the Asian promotion in 2016.

Eko Roni Saputra believes all it will take for Mattheis to break into the upper echelon of the strawweight division is a willing dance partner. With eight finishes out of nine wins, Mattheis is one of the most exciting fighters in ONE Championship. It has certainly been difficult finding an opponent for ‘Papua Badboy'.

Siregar, on the other hand, is a capable grappler. With three submission wins out of four victories, he has proven himself a threat on the ground. However, ‘The Magician’ is still very young in his career and Eko Roni Saputra feels the 25-year-old from Jakarta needs more experience before he takes a step up in competition.

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Eko Roni Saputra wants to help fellow Indonesian martial arts talents

Eko Roni Saputra is currently in Samarinda on the island of Borneo, where he grew up. He hasn’t been home since the COVID-19 pandemic hit and caused lockdowns all over the world.

However, this is more than just a visit home for ‘Dynamite'. Eko Roni Saputra is looking to build a series of state-of-the-art training facilities which he says will help young fighters chase their dreams.

“I am planning to build an MMA Center in Samarinda. I want it to be a place to create and nurture future Indonesian stars. My dream is to make a big, modern facility so this is the first step. I don’t want it to be just an ordinary gym.

“I have seen it in Evolve and other gyms in America and they are all so sophisticated so I want to create a similar gym with the best equipment and facilities in order to produce the best [athletes]. That’s my goal and I have taken the first step. Hopefully it can be realized soon.”