11-0 in MMA, and driving a formidable three-fight win streak in ONE, Ramazanov is a real contender within the welterweight division.
With a powerful wrestling background, the 27-year-old was additionally unbeaten as an beginner, and is aware of a win this weekend would put him within the higher echelons of the division, and in title competition.
However who’s Murad Ramazanov?
He grew up in Makhachkala, Russia, a now famed location for the manufacturing of top-class fighters. The youngest of three youngsters, Ramazanov had a snug upbringing because of his household’s small manufacturing enterprise, primarily specialising in footwear.
He describes himself as being spoiled as a baby, with a particular relationship along with his father – and being stored in line by a extra strict mom.
Regardless of his father wanting Ramazanov to observe in his footsteps as a businessman, there have been early indicators of a extra combative future.
“My father had an enormous affect on me – he was my rock, my help, and me inspiration. One in every of my on- display heroes was [Arnold] Schwarzenegger, however my true idol was Jean-Claude Van Damme – we had a tape with “Bloodsport,” and I should have watched it a thousand instances. I beloved his method, his kicks – it was spectacular.”
As a teen, he would combat on the streets, however nothing too critical. He had tried his hand at boxing and soccer, however when he was launched to wrestling by his father he had an immediate connection.
“He practiced it within the military, when he served in Georgia, the place it’s a very talked-about sport. I began
with boxing after I was 10 or 11 years outdated, then soccer for a 12 months, the place coaches weren’t nice. I didn’t need to begin freestyle wrestling due to the coaches who introduced up shouting and hitting. However one morning, after I was 12 years outdated, my father took me to Greco-Roman Wrestling, the place there was a youthful coach, he had a distinct strategy to us. My father instructed me that I may practice for every week and if I didn’t prefer it, then I may give up. However I actually received into it rapidly.”
Scouted from a younger age by nationwide coaches, Ramazanov would go on to win a number of junior and beginner accolades, and even moved to Moscow to additional his wrestling training – a troublesome transfer for somebody so household oriented. After turning into disillusioned with a drop in teaching requirements, he would transfer from Moscow to Dagestan and his transition to jiu-jitsu and MMA started.
“Due to my wrestling background, I instantly received good at it – they even thought that I
was an skilled fighter,” he mentioned. “I joined a professional crew beneath Yusup Saadulaev and there have been so many expert guys amongst them! I assumed I used to be good, however I used to be humbled. I received caught in triangles and armbars, which I didn’t like. I wished to spar with MMA guys who had been nice on the bottom and on their toes, however I didn’t have sufficient talent. I wasn’t planning to go straight into MMA, however I rapidly realized that I used to be solely good in a single space: wrestling. My new objective was to turn into a well-rounded fighter, to learn to use elbows and knees, and the best way to combine wrestling and putting.”
This was all on the age of 16.
Impressed by Khabib Nurmagomedov, he would keep true to his wrestling background and construct his base from there.
“Khabib used his largest asset – the dominant wrestling – and developed the whole lot else from that. I attempted to emulate him. If it wasn’t for Khabib, I might have misplaced a few of my core abilities, making an attempt to turn into a striker, a kickboxer,” he defined.
It labored. An undefeated stint as an beginner finally led to Ramazanov having some skilled fights as an adolescent. However an enormous win when he was 21, pushed his trajectory, and by early 2020 we was signing with ONE.
“Earlier than I signed with ONE, I had adopted this group for some time as a result of I preferred its powerful guidelines. Guys from my gymnasium like Marat Gafurov and Yusup Saadulaev fought there. Once I went to Singapore for my debut, I used to be impressed by how the employees handled us athletes, how we had been greeted by CEO Chatri Sityodtong.”
And now he sits 3-0 in ONE on the verge of a title shot, he thinks he already deserves, with Soldic standing in his method.
“I feel I deserved it then, but when the corporate’s administration determined that I wanted to smash
one other man on the way in which to the highest, it’s okay. I feel yet another combat, and I must be given a title shot. I’ve already gained three fights in ONE, that’s sufficient for a title shot, I feel and lots of consultants and MMA followers agree with me.”
It’s a excessive stakes combat for each males, and one which may steal the present this weekend.
ONE Battle Night time 5: De Ridder vs. Malykhin takes place Saturday December 3 5am GST on the Mall Of Asia Enviornment, Manila. It is a evening to not be missed so mark your calendars, obtain the ONE Tremendous App, and go to look at.onefc.com now!
