Razak Al-Hassan

 

Razak Al-Hassan Interview

Hi Razak,

Thank you for taking the time to sit down with MMABay and answer a few of our questions.

MMABay - Firstly, you're due to face Kyle Kingsbury at UFC 104 on October 24 in Los Angeles. This fight has been coming for a long time with several date/event/venue changes. How did it feel when this fight was finally confirmed and you were able to finally start preparing for a definite opponent?

Razak Al-Hassan - When the fight was finally confirmed it gave me peace of mind knowing that I had a definite opponent and a definite date scheduled. From there I was able to develop my game plan for my training schedule so I could peak at the proper time. It helped me out tremendously having ample time for a good training camp.

MMABay - It will be around ten months since you last fought when you step in the cage at UFC 104, how has your recovery been?

Razak Al-Hassan - My recovery from my injury has been great. Just to make it clear to those who don't know, my arm didn't break but I suffered an elbow dislocation. It did not require surgery but I went to physical therapy for a few months afterwards. The arm has given me no issues with my training and I can strike and bare weight on it just as good as I could do before the injury.

MMABay - Your loss to Steve Cantwell was your first professional loss, do you feel it has slowed you down at all?

Razak Al-Hassan - I know it sounds very cliché but my lost to Steve Cantwell was one of the best things that could happen in MMA career. The loss really ignited a fire in me to become the best mixed martial artist I can possibly be. I have completely changed my eating habits and training facilities & partners in the wake of my loss. I realized that to compete with the best you have to train like the best so I have completely devoted myself to training full time in MMA.

MMABay - Being the way that Cantwell beat you in your debut, do you feel any added pressure to prove yourself from here on in?

Razak Al-Hassan - I am my own harshest critic and judge so I know that I didn't fight to my full capabilities in my first outing. I don't feel any pressure because I know with the way I have physically & psychologically prepared myself for this bout that I will have a vastly different performance this time around.

MMABay - Due to the brutal nature of your injury, the fight became very high profile, very quickly. Do you feel you want to avenge the loss to Cantwell and set the record straight?

Razak Al-Hassan - I feel that you can show more in loss then you can in a victory at times. Fighters sometimes say before a fight that they are "going to leave it all in the octagon". Well I did that. I showed my heart and intestinal fortitude to the UFC fans. The opening montage to the UFC shows is a gladiator wielding a sword; like a gladiator I was carried out on my shield and that is the only way I would want it in defeat. My primary focus is on UFC 104 so I'm not looking ahead to future opponents or potential rematches when my opponent deserves my undivided attention.

MMABay - Most of your wins come by the way of submission, can we expect to see you trying to submit Kyle Kingsbury or would like to use your Tae-Kwon-Do and go for more knockouts?

Razak Al-Hassan - I've made real strides to become a well rounded mixed martial artist and to remove any apparent deficiencies in my game. Whether the fight is on the feet or the ground I'll be prepared to make it an entertaining show.

MMABay - Tae Kwon Do is quite an unorthodox base for an MMA fighter, in the sense that not many fighters come into the sport with that background. What skills do you feel will set you apart inside the octagon?

Razak Al-Hassan - Lyoto Machida has shown that you can take a traditional martial art, combine it with modern MMA, to form a highly effective fighting system. While Tae Kwon Do in itself is incomplete for MMA today, when certain things from it are combined with MMA I believe it gives me opportunities to be more creative and unorthodox with moves and to see things that maybe others wouldn’t.

MMABay - Should you get past Kyle, is there anyone you have your eye on to cement yourself in the light-heavyweight division?

Razak Al-Hassan - The only opponent I see in the future is the battle with oneself to forge myself into a true martial artist both physically & mentally.

MMABay - Are there any sponsors you’d like to thank before we finish?

Razak Al-Hassan - I would like to thank Tapout and Combat Corner in Milwaukee, WI for their support!

(An exclusive interview for MMABay.co.uk)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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