Mohamed “The Eagle” Younes Rabah has put in plenty of blood, sweat, and tears to earn his spot in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
At ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug, the Algerian knockout artist will return to Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium for his third appearance in ONE when he takes on American scrapper Eddie “Silky Smooth” Abasolo in an intriguing featherweight Muay Thai bout.
That contest will air live in U.S. primetime on Friday, November 8, and it will be another chance for Rabah to showcase his immense talent and electrifying style of combat on the biggest stage.
His journey to ONE’s bright lights was anything but easy. This is how “The Eagle” escaped difficult conditions to become an international combat sports superstar.
‘Money Was Tight’
Born and raised in Algeria as one of nine children, Rabah’s childhood was marked by struggle and poverty.
He spoke to onefc.com about his early years and how his family’s financial uncertainty forced him to grow up quickly:
“I had a very hard childhood. We lived at my grandparent’s house with numerous uncles and aunts. Then we moved into a small house with eight siblings in a tough neighborhood. My father worked as a teacher, striving to provide for our large family as the sole breadwinner.
“Money was tight, so I had to start working at a young age to support myself and help my family.”
Finding His Calling
Rabah felt destined for something greater than just toiling away, barely making ends meet.
Athletically gifted from an early age, he first dabbled in soccer, but the sport didn’t scratch his itch for a more fiery activity.
He then took up karate before finally finding kickboxing – and has been hooked ever since:
“I played football for a while but found myself craving something more intense. That’s when I tried my hand at karate, but the non-contact aspect didn’t quite resonate with me.
“It wasn’t until I stumbled upon kickboxing at the age of 13, through a humble gym in my town, that I truly discovered my passion for martial arts.”
The youngster quickly fell in love with the sport and spent hours watching icons of kickboxing like Dutch-Moroccan legend Badr Hari.
Determined to make a name for himself in martial arts, Rabah dedicated himself to kickboxing, training at his makeshift home gym on days that he didn’t make it to the academy:
“Watching legends like Badr Hari ignited a fire within me, and I began envisioning myself competing at their level, starting from that very same small gym.
“I quickly realized that hitting the gym three times a week wasn’t going to cut it. So, I got creative. I set up this janky punching bag in my house using old tires and my worn-out gloves.
“Every single day, I was in there, working out solo and studying the pros’ moves. I became kinda obsessed with getting better, even back then.”
The Grind Never Stops
“The Eagle’s” hard work soon began to bear fruit. He won multiple Algerian and Arab titles in kickboxing and Muay Thai to establish himself as one of the region’s most promising rising talents.
His successes in the ring, though, didn’t necessarily mean an easier life outside of it.
Alone and with nobody to support him but himself, Rabah took any and all jobs that would allow him to continue training:
“In pursuit of my dreams, I made the leap from my small town to the bustling capital city of Algiers, searching for new opportunities.
“It was a challenging time. I was on my own, juggling training with work. Initially, I took on the role of a shopkeeper, and during this period, I even found myself crashing in a friend’s university campus room, pushing through difficulties.”
Eventually, Rabah found full-time work as a kinesiotherapist. That eased his financial burdens a bit, but he knew that if he wanted to reach the highest levels of Muay Thai and kickboxing, he needed to venture out of Algeria.
With dreams of greatness at the forefront of his mind, the talented striker took on even more jobs to help pay for various training trips:
“To fund my travels to Thailand and further my career, I ventured into car trading and took on additional hours as a salesman.
“There was even a stint in Dubai where I found myself behind the wheel as a taxi driver, all while living and training at the gym. So yeah, I’ve had my fair share of jobs and hustles along the way to establish myself as a professional athlete.”
Becoming A Star
Those years of diligent effort – balancing training with other work – led the 27-year-old to ONE Championship in December 2023.
In his promotional debut, he knocked out decorated Thai veteran and former ONE World Title challenger Saemapetch Fairtex to make waves on the global Muay Thai scene. While he would lose a rematch this past February, Rabah’s fearless and dynamic style has caught the attention of fans around the globe.
Now training full-time in Thailand at the renowned Team Mehdi Zatout, “The Eagle” can hardly believe that he’s finally achieving his dreams:
“It’s been wild to notice more people recognizing me on the streets of Bangkok. Now, folks even stop me for photos, which is kinda surreal but totally cool. The love from fans keeps me going, and I really appreciate every bit of it.”
