Once a pro fighter, AJ ‘Pyro’ now fights for animals in need

Long before Jumat Lias Mansor’s truck comes to a stop, the animals already know he has arrived. At each feeding spot, stray dogs wag their tails while cats gather nearby to greet the man they have learnt to trust.

For Jumat, better known as AJ “Pyro” Lias Mansor, their welcome makes every feeding round worthwhile. “They remember and appreciate you. They cannot talk, but you can feel it,” he said.

With his muscular build, the 52-year-old looks every much the formidable mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter he once was. But beneath that tough exterior lies a gentle heart.

His sporting career has spanned several disciplines. A former Malaysian national rugby player and silat athlete, he is also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with experience in wrestling and Muay Thai.

In 2013, he became the first ONE Featherweight Malaysia Tournament champion.

These days, he channels that same energy and determination into a different cause: giving Sabah’s stray dogs and cats a better life.

“It’s an everyday battle. I feed them, care for them and neuter them. Then I see news of people abusing animals or dumping their pets. It’s a neverending story,” he told FMT Lifestyle.

“But if I stop, who is going to take care of them? Who is going to fight for them?”

Every day, AJ feeds more than 30 stray cats and dogs in and around Kota Kinabalu. He also rescues injured and sick animals wherever he can, and carries out trap-neuter-release-manage (TNRM) efforts to help control the stray population.

His work can take him beyond the city to Kudat and Keningau, where he similarly feed animals, carries out TNRM measures, and encourages pet owners to neuter their animals.

At home, AJ and his wife care for rescued cats and dogs with special needs. Some are affected by canine distemper, while one of their pets has lost an eye – but all have found a safe place to call home.

AJ’s love for animals began in childhood. During his years as an athlete, he would travel with cat and dog food so he could feed strays wherever he went.

When the pandemic struck and restaurants closed, he worried that many strays would lose their usual food sources. So he began going out to feed them regularly and taking injured animals to veterinary clinics.

As a Muslim, AJ has been questioned about helping dogs. His response is rooted firmly in his faith.

“Islam teaches us not to hurt any animals because they are God’s creatures,” he said, stressing that Islamic teachings also provide guidance on cleansing oneself after contact with a dog.

If a dog poses a threat, he added, the matter should be left to the relevant authorities and not taken into one’s own hands.

“You cannot go and kill the dog. You might not even identify the right dog! It comes down to awareness in our community,” he said.

AJ’s concern for others extends beyond animals. After his ONE tournament victory, AJ donated his winnings to victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and later volunteered in Tacloban.

Last year, he travelled to Aceh to help people and animals affected by severe flooding.

Caring for strays requires considerable sacrifice. The cost of feeding strays and looking after animals at home costs him RM4,000 to RM5,000 a month, with expenses rising further when veterinary treatment is needed.

AJ, who works as a freelance personal trainer, shoulders most of the expense himself, although friends and social media followers sometimes contribute.

The toll is physical, too: years of sport have left AJ with spinal injuries and, despite undergoing surgery, he lives with pain much of the time.

Still, he remains determined to keep showing up for the animals that depend on him.

For AJ, lasting change requires responsible pet ownership, sustained TNRM efforts, and cooperation between authorities and animal-welfare groups.

Yet there is one simple act of kindness he believes everyone can offer. “If you don’t like dogs or cats, and you don’t want to feed or rescue them, that’s fine. Just don’t hurt them.”

To support AJ’s efforts, contact him on Instagram.

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