Malaysian sales advisor and MMA fighter Seah Zhang Yu beat 18 other finalists from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam to win the title of South-East Asia's Toughest in the latest edition of RU Tough Enough 2019.

Seah, who took home the grand prize of US$15,000 (RM60,000), pushed his limits in the final Head-to-Head Challenge Round with the other top contender, Thai air force officer Kajohnsak Thakham, 30.

The 23-year-old has previously won the Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts (MIMMA) Flyweight Belt three times consecutively and even once knocked his rival out in the first round of an MMA fight to bring home the championship belt.

A firm believer in the importance of passion, hard work and dedication, Seah has an all-or-nothing attitude and a burning desire for fitness.

"It feels like I'm in a dream and I can't believe that I won! The final round with Kajohnsak was very strenuous! I thought I had failed during the tyre-carrying section of the obstacle course because weightlifting is not one of my biggest strengths and I'm small in size.

"But I endured and didn't give up. It felt like I was not just fighting to win for the sake of my family and friends, but also for my country Malaysia, and that gave me the final push to achieve what seemed impossible!" he said.

RU Tough Enough 2019 is organised by KIX HD (Astro Ch 729). Photo: KIX HD

The Final Showdown was held at Sunway Pyramid, with difficult obstacle challenges that tested each finalist’s abilities, mental grit and emotional strength. The last part of the course required contenders to run and leap towards the top of a curved wall while using their upper body strength to hoist themselves up to complete the race.

In January next year, inspiring personal "tough stories" from previous R U Tough Enough participants and winners will be showcased in an exclusive 30-minute TV special, to be aired on KIX HD (Astro Ch 729).

For more info, visit: facebook.com/KIXAsia (Facebook), KIXAsia (Twitter), and KIXAsia (Instagram).