The martial art of Muay Thai is often referred to as “the art of eight limbs”, making it all the more extraordinary that Jake Peacock has reached the pinnacle of the sport despite being born with one hand.

The son of Gavin Peacock, the former QPR, Chelsea and Newcastle midfielder, has been scrapping since he was mocked for his disability while at school in south London. The 31-year-old’s street-fighting skills have taken him all the way to the One Championship, the most lucrative martial arts competition in the world, valued at $1.3 billion (£1 billion) by Forbes.

Peacock is preparing for his second contest in a six-fight deal with One Championship, which offers six-figure bonuses on top of each fighter’s individual purse. Although billed as Jake “The One” Peacock for obvious reasons, his ambition is to be known as a great fighter and to win a world title.

After winning on his One Championship debut last year, Peacock’s next bout is against Japanese fighter Shinji Suzuki on February 20 in Qatar, where victory would earn him a shot at fighting a top-10 opponent. Sky Sports will broadcast the fight in the UK.

Credit: ONE 171

“It’s a very visible thing that I have,” Peacock says from his home in Canada, where he has lived since the age of 15 after the family emigrated for Gavin to study theology in Calgary before becoming a Christian minister. “I have one hand, everyone can see that. But I’m a fighter and will be known as a great fighter at the end of my career.

“I’m gonna starch this guy. Anything can happen out there and every opponent is dangerous, but I’m not going out there to lose. I’m gonna put this guy away in two rounds. I want to keep challenging myself and fight the very best. I want to fight for a world title down the road. I’m just going to keep working my way up the rankings.”

‘I grew up with name-calling, so Mum signed me up for karate’

Peacock’s fight journey began at the age of seven, when his mother signed him up for karate with a view to ensuring he could defend himself if the playground taunts became physical. “I grew up with name-calling and stigma because of my arm, but I coped with it,” he says. “Growing up in south-east London, Mum thought karate would be a good idea, and I took a liking to it right away.

“I only had one real scrap at school. I handled it pretty quickly, and after that I never got picked on again. They regretted it and we became best mates afterwards! I started with sport karate, which is touch contact, then moved on to full-contact karate. I was competing from 10 years old, so respect came in the fight world pretty quickly. From 14 to 17 I was in the world championships, travelling all over the world, and really got the itch.

“I wanted something more and found Muay Thai. To me Muay Thai is the most complete combat sport there is. You can punch, kick, elbow, there’s clinching involved as well, so it was the sport for me.”

Muay Thai is the national sport of Thailand, with the art of eight limbs nickname a reference to the fact that unlike other combat sports, multiple forms of striking are permitted – punches, elbows, knees and kicks. As a one-handed fighter, Peacock has had to develop his own style, but incredibly still uses his right elbow, which has been utilised to deliver knock-down blows.

“It’s very different for me,” Peacock says. “I can’t throw conventional combinations so have to really think outside the box in terms of distancing, timing and range management. I’ve developed a unique style.

“I still use my right arm. I’ve only got an elbow, but know how to use it. I’ve put people down with it in the past.”

Peacock credits Gavin and his grandad Keith – who made more than 500 appearances for Charlton before moving into management with Gillingham, and then returning to Charlton as assistant to Alan Curbishley – with inspiring the commitment and dedication required to become a professional fighter.

“My dad and grandad have been really helpful,” he says. “I don’t know if they realise this, but just watching how they held themselves through a professional career was a real lesson. The heights they reached, the humility they kept, their composure, professionalism and dedication. All those things really rubbed off on me. I look up to them a lot. They showed me what it takes to be a professional.

“I loved all sports growing up. I played basketball, football obviously, I swam competitively, American football when we moved to Canada. But nothing clicked with me like combat sports. I was never good enough to go pro in football, but out here they think I’m like Pele! Back home I’m just an average Joe.”

‘Our family is heavily rooted in Jesus’

As a 15-year-old, Peacock initially found the move difficult, but has now lived in Calgary for more than half his live and is married to a Canadian, with three children. Despite growing up with an awareness of Gavin’s religious studies, he did not become a Christian until he was 18, a development he believes transformed him as a fighter.

His parents have recently returned to England, with Gavin taking a position at a church in south London, but they all remain in close contact.

“My faith is pivotal to me, that’s for sure,” Peacock says. “I’d say I became a Christian at 18 when I was at university and it shapes everything, all my decisions. Our family is heavily rooted in Jesus. I wrestled with religion a bit in my teen years, and I wasn’t sure. At the time I was fighting as an amateur and had started to take my identity from that, ‘Jake the fighter’, that kind of thing.

“That made me feel good because I was so insecure about my arm. But I took a step back and realised that fighting would go soon. It’s a short career, you could get injured at any time, and then what do you have?

“I asked what else defined me, and realised I had to take my identity from God, who is unchanging. I got my relationship right with God, put my trust in him, and everything changed. My life pretty much did a 180-degree turn at that point.

“The stuff that used to bother me about my arm didn’t worry me any more. I was no longer focused on what I looked like and how people perceived me. I was way more content, even in my fighting.

“I took a break from the sport for two or three years, then went back to it. When I went back I was a different animal. I hadn’t even trained, but my mindset was transformed.

“On February 20 I will go out and put on the best performance I can. If I lose, then it’s not the end of the world to me. Before it would have been. If I win or lose it doesn’t change who I am, or my identity. I’m going out there to win, but if for some reason I lose, then I’m content.”

‘I pray for my opponent’s safety, but I still want to knock him out’

Peacock’s last act before entering the ropes will be to say a silent prayer for his opponent, Suzuki, who he wants to knock out without inflicting serious injury.

“When I’m going into the ring I pray for my family, and my opponent’s safety,” he says. “I’m still going in there to knock him out, but hope and pray that there’s no major injuries. I swear to you, that’s my prayer when I’m walking out. That’s the last thing on my mind before I climb over the ropes. I always say a prayer.

“Both fighters sign up for this and know what we’re doing, but there’s absolutely no bad blood. Every opponent I’ve ever fought I stay in touch with. When you’ve shared time in the ring, it’s an intimate thing. He’s coming out there to put me away, and I want to put him away, but there’s a lot of respect. It’s a strange thing.”