Sahil Siraj är med i OKTAGON’s turnering där cirka 11 miljoner kronor står på spel. Kimura intervjuade honom inför första matchen!
Sahil Siraj om träningen på Allstars
Han är en av våra mest framgångsrika fighters utanför UFC. Sahil Siraj har satt ett tydligt avtryck på den europeiska MMA-scenen. Med vinster i KSW, Brave CF och Cage Warriors har han nu hamnat i tjeckiska OKTAGON. Där kommer han vara en del av organisationens sextonmannaturnering i lättvikt. I prispott finns en summa på en miljon euro. Första omgången påbörjas den kommande helgen.
Vi tog kontakt med honom för att kolla läget nu när matchdag närmar sig.
Where has the majority of your training camp taken place? In Sweden or somewhere else?
All my training in Spain. In Allstars Spain, in Torrevieja.
Det var 2021 som det stod klart att svenska succégymmet Allstars skulle expandera och öppna en ny anläggning i Spanien. Detta har underlättat för utomstående tränare och sparringpartners att gästa och bidra med sin kompetens. Något Siraj tagit del av under sina förberedelser, med tränare från flera olika länder på besök.
Who are you training with there?
Reza. The coaches: Reza Madadi and there is a few guys coming from Germany, from Russia, from Ukraine. And it’s good, it’s going good.
Med sportens klimat allt mer anpassat efter UFC har de flesta andra organisationer tagit efter detta. Men med PFL som ansiktet utåt har turneringsformatet kommit tillbaka, kanske som en motreaktion. Hur skiljer det sig för fightern att inte veta vem de möter lika långt på förhand? Inte mycket menar Siraj.
A little bit about the OKTAGON tournament. How do you prepare when you don’t really know who you’re gonna fight beforehand? Since it’s a tournament you don’t get as much time to study your opponent. Does that feel weird for you?
No, the thing is I never study my oppononet so much, because in the fight it’s not gonna happen exactly [like] you see or what you prepare for. You have to adapt yourself [at] the same time [for] what is coiming for you. Of course you can see one, two fights. But you don’t go check everyday and [look at] what he throws, what he’s doing. You just do your thing. I do my thing in the ring, I don’t think what my opponent do.
”Bonus motivation”
En av de stora aspekterna som använts i turneringens marknadsföran är tidigare nämnda summan pengar som tilldelas vinnaren. 1 miljon euro, cirka 11,2 miljoner kronor. En kan tänka att det sätter press på fightern att ha en så pass stor summa pengar i åtanke när man tränar. Siraj väljer istället att se det som extra motivation.
There has been a lot of talk about the big sum of money being on the line. Does that put any extra preassure on you or is it just bonus motivation?
It’s just like you say, kind of bonus motivation. It’s nothing special for me.
You’re currently fighting in OKTAGON, one of the biggest organizations in Europe. Do you wanna keep on fighting with them after this or do you want to take your talents anywhere else?
The thing is I don’t take these decisions. It’s all my manager, Majdi Shammas. He’s the one taking all decisions where [I should] fight. I’m a fighter, whatever the place is I’m gonna fight. So this is not my decision to make. It’s my managers and we’ll see how everything goes. OKTAGON is one of the best organizations. I fight before in Cage (Warriors). It’s also a great organization. So, I’m a fighter like I said.
Siraj har vunnit sju av sina nio matcher vi KO/TKO. Men med en tränare som Reza Madadi får han även expertis inom brottning och markarbetet.
Has there been any trouble or anyhting especially hard during this camp? Anything you have focused extra on? You have become quite famous for your knockout power. Do you wanna strike primarly or are you comfortable with the fight going to the ground?
The thing is, this is mixed martial arts. You have to be ready in everything. So I’m preparing myself for everything. Whatever [happens]. If [it goes] to the ground [I’ll] be ready in the ground. If it’s striking I’m gonna be ready in the striking. So I don’t train like [for] any specific positions I want to be in. So it’s like I say, it’s mixed martial arts, you have to be ready for everything. So i train everything.
You said you were training with Reza Madadi. What’s his influence on you? Because he is a very good wrestler, but he also has experience in the UFC. Does he bring anything except for technique?
Of course. I look up to him for a long time. And now I finnaly get the opportunity that I can train under him and it feels great. He’s a great guy and he’s a great coach and as a friend.
He’s a great friend so we have a great connection. So I feel comfortable, I feel relaxed. The training, everything. Like you said, he’s experianced. It’s a lot to learn.
Siraj verkar verkligen ha hittat hem. I ett år har han nu haft Allstars som sin bas.
A great training camp, I really like to be here and train.
Will he (Reza) be in your corner on fight night?
Yes, yes he will be.
If you could give a prediction to our readers. How are you gonna win the first fight if you can choose the way you win?
The way I think about it, it’s gonna be knockout. The fight is not gonna go to three rounds. It’s gonna be knockout.
