SINGAPORE — He was just 16 when he was introduced to the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) during a holiday in the United States.

Captivated by the complexities and raw power of the sport, Amir Khan, who by then already had three years of Muay Thai training, decided to seriously pursue a career as an MMA fighter.

With the MMA scene in Singapore still in its infancy then (2011), he made the bold move of relocating to the US all alone — transferring to a high school in Louisiana in the process — in order to train regularly at the local MMA gym.

After spending close to four years in the US, Khan eventually returned to Singapore as he was called up to serve National Service (NS).

Fearing that his development as a fighter would be hindered, the 22-year-old, who has Tourette syndrome — a neurological disorder characterised by involuntary movements — struck an agreement with his commanders to allow him to train at the Evolve MMA gym during regular working hours.

In return, Khan would stay in camp during the weekends to carry out guard duties.

The sacrifices that the featherweight fighter has made since he began his MMA journey show just how much he wants to succeed in the sport.

While Khan admits his decision to choose a career path less travelled has earned him the derision of his naysayers, he is determined to prove them wrong by carving a successful career in the sport.

“I try to stay positive, but then sometimes people will talk and negative thoughts go into your head,” Khan told TODAY. “Some of them are sarcastic and mock me for taking the sport so seriously. They question if I can make a living out of it, and ask what happens when I’m old and have no other skills.

“So I tell them to watch me. In 10 years, let’s see who’s successful. I have my long-term goals in the sport and I’ll remain focused on achieving them. That’s the best way to prove my critics wrong.”

Among Khan’s goals is to inspire others to pursue their dreams and passion wholeheartedly. In order to champion that cause, however, he knows that he will first have to show that he can reach the top and win a ONE Championship world title.

“Most people in Singapore are afraid of chasing their dreams and doing what they love,” explained Khan, who holds a win-loss record of 5-2. “I don’t blame them because parents here tend to shut their kids’ dreams down when they try to choose an unconventional path like sports or the arts.

“What I hope to do is inspire people to chase what they love. I want my MMA career to be proof that if you have the passion for something, and if you’re good at it, you’ll be able to make a living out of it.

“My current goal is to be a world champion on a big global promotion like ONE Championship.”

For now though, Khan’s immediate challenge will be to overcome Philippine fighter Vaughn Donayre, who holds a purple belt in Brazilian Ju-Jitsu and is a veteran of 13 fights (eight wins, five losses), in a lightweight bout at tonight’s ONE Championship: Defending Honour event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Khan was initially scheduled to take on grappler Samir Mrabet, but the Belgian withdrew from the bout last week due to injury.

But Khan is unperturbed by the late change in opponent, despite having spent the past eight weeks preparing for Mrabet and remains confident that he will emerge victorious tonight.

“The change hasn’t affected me that much, because I’m always prepared to take on any kind of fighter,” said Khan. “I haven’t altered my game plan and strategy too much. The only difference is that now I’ll probably have to engage (Donayre) more on the ground.

“I know Donayre is more experienced and a tough fighter so I’m not taking him lightly, but I’m not intimidated ... I’m confident of securing a victory and aim to finish him off in the first round.” Noah Tan

* Tickets for ONE: DEFENDING HONOR are available at http://www.sportshub.com.sg/sportshubtix/Pages/one-defending-honor.aspx