Mohammad Rifdean bin Masdor, known as Rifdean Masdor, was born and raised in Kuching, in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. At the age of seven, his uncle, a Muay Thai practitioner himself, introduced him to the sport by building an improvised gym in the backyard of the family home — the beginning of Rifdean’s lifelong passion for the discipline. At fifteen, he moved to Ipoh, in the state of Perak, to receive more advanced training under fellow Sarawakian coach Bernard Radin.
His amateur career, which began in 2018 and also included the Malaysia Games (SUKMA), resulted in three gold medals at the IFMA Senior World Championships (2021, 2022, and 2023) — an achievement that made him one of Malaysia’s most decorated young Muay Thai athletes. He then continued training in Thailand under a Thai coach to refine his technique.
In March 2025, Masdor made his ONE Championship debut with a technical knockout victory over a Thai opponent. He then built a five-fight winning streak, all by finish, including a first-round knockout (94 seconds) against Javad Mozafari at The Inner Circle 19 — a fight that, after three years of waiting and hard work, earned him a full-time six-figure contract with ONE Championship. This made him one of a select group of Malaysian fighters, including Johan “Jojo” Ghazali and Aliff Sor Dechapan, to reach the same milestone.
After winning his contract, Masdor publicly called for a fight against his idol, reigning ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka Yoshinari. That wish came true: on October 17, 2026, at ONE SAMURAI 4 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, he will face Nadaka for the world title — a unique opportunity to make history both for himself and for Sarawak and Malaysia, notably on the champion’s home turf.
