Rachman Returns to the Ring

By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

Former IBF and WBA boxing champion, Muhammad Rachman of Indonesia is back to seek a third world title at the tender age of 42. “I’m not Bernard Hopkins, but he is the inspiration for everybody,” Rachman said. Rachman will stage the bout with his newly established promotion company, Muhammad Rachman’s Spirit in Jayapura City, in his home country of Indonesia. Rachman (64-11-5, 34 KOs) will take on a Thai challenger, Thortailek sor Tanapinyo (18-15, 7 KOs) for the International Boxing Organization (IBO) Junior Flyweight IBO title on February 21.

Nicknamed “The Rock Breaker,” Mohammad Rachman Sawaluddin bin Suhaimat was born in Merauke, Papua, Indonesia in 1971. He got his nickname after defeating top-rated Filipino boxer Ernesto “Hard Rock” Rubillar, in Jakarta in March of 2003. Rachman went on to win the International Boxing Federation (IBF) World Straw-weight Championship by a split decision against Daniel Reyes of Colombia in September of 2004 in Jakarta. On July 7, 2007, Rachman lost his title in a decision to Filipino boxer Florante Condes.

In April of 2011 Rachman knocked out Thai boxer Kwanthai Sithmorseng in the 9th round to claim the World Boxing Association (WBA) World Minimum-Weight title. Then in July of 2011, Rachman lost the WBA World Minimum-Weight title to  Thailand’s Pornsawan Porpramook in a controversial majority decision.

Rachman only fought once in all of 2013. He is the fourth ever Indonesian boxer to win a boxing world title.

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