Doha, Qatar: Jake Peacock’s journey to ONE Championship has been a storied ride.
Peacock – who meets Shinji Suzuki on Thursday, February 20, at ONE 171: Qatar in bantamweight Muay Thai action at Lusail Sports Arena in Doha – dreamed of reaching the grandest stage.
In fact, it was all he wanted.
But nothing could have prepared the British-born Canadian for the seismic shift his life was about to take leading up to and directly after his first fight in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
After winning the Road to ONE: Canada tournament and a contract with ONE Championship, the man born with one arm made his promotional debut at ONE Friday Fights 58 event in April 2024. There, he defeated Kohei Shinjo by unanimous decision.
Taking place at the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, far away from the sports halls he used to compete in, the fight should’ve sent jitters through Peacock.
But having just inked a deal with ONE Championship, he had already achieved something not many people manage in their lifetime – turning a dream into a reality.
“Making it to ONE and fighting here, it’s a dream. It’s the pinnacle of the sport and there’s no other place I’d rather be than in ONE Championship,” Peacock said.
Given his physical difference, Peacock’s debut attracted plenty of attention. The world was watching, but this was the moment he had prepared for since he began training Muay Thai. Nothing was going to sway him from getting his hand raised, and that allowed him to be omnipresent in the moment.
So, while others were blown away when he earned a one-sided unanimous decision over Shinjo, Peacock had already visualized the victory. Now he had the world hanging on his every strike.
“In the ring, I had a blast, man. It was fairly effortless for myself in there. There was no point of danger. I was always winning the fight. I was never in a bad situation and, to be honest, I felt like I was having a little bit too much fun,” Peacock said.
Needless to say, Peacock has goals of ascending ONE’s bantamweight Muay Thai ranks. But it takes a dedicated team to forge a fighter of his caliber, and he would be remiss to forget those who have helped him along the way.
As head coach of the Dunamis Muay Thai Academy in Calgary, Peacock’s mission is to give back. Whether it be his teammates, his students, or fans online, he wants to use his popularity and experience inside and outside the ring to make a positive contribution to the world.
“I’ve had some messages from people online in my DMs, even from younger fans. I miss a lot of messages now because it’s been quite overwhelming how many I’ve had. But I’ve also had some messages from fans with disabilities and limb-differences, which has been quite touching,” Peacock said.
“I really care about people, and I want to help people.So people message me for motivation and encouragement and advice, and I always try to give back to them for their support. It’s a cool position to be in to encourage people and have an effect on them.”
