I also have many things in common with Bilal Hasan. He is from Indonesia like me; he also does grappling jiu-jitsu and plays the drums, like me.
Bilal Hasan, whose full name is Bilal Alakai Hasan, is an American-born mixed martial artist with Indonesian roots. He was born on 16 July 2001 in Honolulu, Hawaii, and his parents moved from Indonesia to the United States. His nickname is “The IndoNinja,” which represents his Indonesian heritage. When Bilal was five years old, he started learning Taekwondo because his parents wanted him to build confidence, discipline and control his energy. As he grew older, he became more interested in martial arts and decided to develop his skills in different fighting styles.
Bilal did not become a successful fighter overnight. He spent years training and competing in Taekwondo, including competing for the United States junior team. Later, he learned other martial arts, such as wrestling, boxing, kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. These skills helped him become a more complete mixed martial artist. Bilal is a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo and a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He trains at Charlie’s Combat Club and has also trained with Demetrious Johnson, a famous former UFC champion. Bilal’s fighting style combines different techniques, allowing him to use both striking and grappling during competitions.
One of Bilal’s biggest achievements was becoming the Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) flyweight champion. He successfully defended his championship three times. In August 2026, he competed on Dana White’s Contender Series, a competition where fighters try to earn a UFC contract. Bilal defeated Mridul Saikia by technical knockout just 45 seconds into the first round. This impressive performance earned him a place in the UFC, one of the world’s best-known mixed martial arts organisations. Later that month, he made his UFC debut against Nilson Rojas in Shanghai, China, and won by knockout in the second round. According to his official UFC profile, Bilal has a professional record of 10 wins and no losses as of October 2026. Eight of those victories were by knockout or technical knockout.
Bilal is not only interested in fighting; he also enjoys music, dancing and entertaining people. One of his biggest inspirations is Michael Jackson, the famous singer and dancer. After some victories, Bilal has celebrated with a moonwalk, showing his fun personality and love of performing. Outside fighting, he enjoys playing the drums, singing, creating videos, hiking, travelling, collecting sneakers and spending time with family and friends. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Health Studies from the University of Washington Bothell and worked several jobs before becoming a UFC fighter. Bilal wants to inspire young people, especially those from Indonesia and Southeast Asia, to believe in their abilities and work hard towards their goals. His story teaches us that success takes patience, dedication and the courage to keep improving.
Bilal Hasan has inspired many Indonesian people to compete at world-class levels in any sport, and Bilal Hasan is one of the first Indonesian fighters to fight in the UFC. Bilal Hasan also inspires Indonesians to work hard, chase their dreams, and never give up. Indonesians can follow his example by staying determined, practising consistently, and believing they can succeed too.