Den turkiske kickboxningsmästaren Gokhan Saki gjorde sin debut i MMA redan 2004 under CFC 1, men förlorade då via TKO. Han har sedan dess varit frånvarande från sporten och fortsatt med kickboxning. Han skrev sedan på för UFC och gjorde sin debut mot Luis Henrique de Silva under Fight Night 117 förra året, då han segrade via KO i första ronden.
Saki har nu höga ambitioner för sin framtid i MMA och menar att han tänker bli en utav de främsta i organisationen. Här berättar han om sin prestation i debuten, sin frånvaro från sporten och vad han tänker på inför sin nästa match.
Via ’Bloody Elbow’:
Well I had my first fight in the UFC after a two-and-a-half year break. I didn’t fight for two and a half years and I had to transcend to MMA conditioning and five-minute rounds. So after my first fight it was obvious that I still have ring rust and have to get my cardio up. The day after my fight I started with that and posted some of that on my social media. Unfortunately, I had some knee problems and needed surgery, 12 stitches. So for months I had to recover and this has been my biggest focus for now. Recover and come back stronger. I made a promise to my fans and I intend to keep my promise.
I worked with a lot of guys. Now my coaches are Selman Berisha and Martijn de Jong. Each have their own experience and point of view and they work well together to bring the best out of me. In Turkey I work a lot with Ertan Balaban for jiu-jitsu.
Its really simple: I’m a competitive athlete. I’m here to fight the best and prove that I’m the best because I beat the best. I cant settle for less than a number one position. Its not in my blood, I can’t finish second. Nobody remembers number two, I’m here to be remembered. The guy that came, saw, and conquered.
Saki tror att det är fullt möjligt att klättra till den här nivån, förutsatt att han kan hålla sig skadefri. Han har inga planer på att förlora.
If there are no obstacles like what happened with my knee I will do this within a year from now. It’s just like i said – I don’t know how I’m going to win, I just know I’m not going to lose.
I’m like Marco Polo man, discovering. I trained in Dubai, Sweden, Holland, Turkey, Miami, LA, and Las Vegas. I’m just trying places to see what works the best for me and where I feel like home. The places for me now are Istanbul, Turkey and Las Vegas/LA. Each place has its benefits and its disadvantages. For example, in Sweden I had good training partners like (Alexander) Gustafsson and (Ilir) Latifi. But in Istanbul I have a lot of Turkish Olympic wrestlers, family, friends, and the biggest reason of all – Turkey is in my heart.
