Helsinki freestyler Omran Chaaban answers UFC inquiries mysteriously.
The summary is made by artificial intelligence and checked by a human.
Finnish freelancer Omran Chaaban is aiming for a UFC career.
Chaaban participated in the TUF series and gave good performances.
He also defeated the pre-favorite, but was eliminated in the semifinals.
Chaaban would like to face Ian Garry in the UFC.
Fabulous UFC is the fight organization where almost all free fighters want to go. Despite the fact that there are other organizations.
Finnish freedom fighter Omran Chaaban is already knocking on the doors of the UFC. After winning the UAE World Championship belt in Abu Dhabi in January, he raised his profile internationally.
Chaaban was offered a very lucrative deal as a fighter for another organization, but he said no thanks.
The paper of around one hundred thousand euros was not valid because Chaaban wants to become a UFC fighter.
“Money doesn’t interest me, I want to be the best and the UFC has the best freelancers in the world.”
“I just want to train, I’m not interested in anything else. I’ve given up on friends, I’m not interested in partying, birthdays or weddings, I’ve missed family events,” says Omran Chaaban.
Freelancer know what it’s like to live with little money.
When Chaaban started freestyle wrestling at the age of 15, he had to stop it after the elementary course because he couldn’t afford to continue the hobby.
The mother was a single parent of three children, and Chaaban did not want to ask the mother for money. He also didn’t want to tell his mother about his hobby, because he knew it would make him feel bad.
“After Faija’s death, it was financially tight and there were problems with relatives. I had to grow up pretty quickly,” he says.
Chaaban’s parents, who grew up in Helsinki’s Roihuvuori, came to Finland in the 1990s from Lebanon. Father died of a heart attack when Chaaban was 10 years old. He had a very close relationship with his father.
“Yes, it has certainly affected me, but I am a Muslim and I believe in God’s plan, life has a plan.”
“
“I came home with a medal around my neck and said that I had taken my first freestyle match and won it.”
Two for months Chaaban practiced by himself after the elementary course. Then he got the opportunity to continue freestyle with the help of hobby support. Soon he already took the first match.
After the match, even the mother had to be told because her face was bruised.
“I came home with a medal around my neck and said that I had taken my first freestyle match and won it. Mother got angry, but then she just had to get used to the idea.”
Omran Chaaban goes to Finland to see his family every couple of months, otherwise he lives in Dublin. He trained in the middle of August in Järvenpää at Sisu Gym.
Chaban still living modestly.
Three years ago, Chaaban moved to Ireland for better training conditions. He trains a local freestyle legend by Chris Fields in training at Team KF’s gym in Dublin.
Chaaban visits Finland every couple of months to see his family.
“I could have been the king of Finland and beat up a gang here, but if I want to be the best in the world, I have to look for challenges elsewhere. You have to go into the discomfort zone, although I feel comfortable there.”
Chaaban lives in Ireland in a small room next to the hall. With the help of the coach, Chaaban is able to focus only on free play.
“
“Mother got angry, but then she just had to get used to the idea.”
Fields is like a big brother to him, and there are also a few other good training buddies. Chaaban doesn’t need friends, it’s enough to train.
“I train for four to six hours every day. I don’t believe in rest days. I believe in light days, but not complete rest.”
World Cup victory an interesting opportunity opened up for Chaaban. He received a call suggesting that he participate in the UFC’s own reality TV series of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) for filming.
In the series, they will fight for a six-figure UFC contract under professional free fight rules. That’s why it has been called the toughest reality TV series in the world.
Omran Chaaban’s match name is the Lebanese gorilla.
The popular series has been running for years, now it’s in its 32nd season. You can follow the series on the ESPN+ channel. Chaaban is the first Finnish participant in the series.
In the program, the contestants are divided into coaching teams of two well-known UFC contestants. There are 16 fighters from two different weight classes. The winners of the tournament will receive a UFC contract.
This season’s coaches are UFC stars Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko. At the same time, we warm up between the coaching duo.
Shevchenko, who held the UFC belt for a long time, was strangled by Grasso last year. Since then, they met again, resulting in a draw.
The third part of the trilogy will take place in September in Las Vegas.
In the series Chaaban is part of Grasso’s team.
“
“There are also fighters in the UFC at the moment who have lost their first matches in previous TUF seasons.”
Program attracted me, even though it meant that Chaaban had to compete in one weight category higher, i.e. move from the 77-kilogram to the 84-kilogram division.
On the other hand, Chaaban suffered from an infection during filming, for which he took five different antibiotics.
Heavy weight loss in the short term could have been difficult in that situation.
Professional free agents normally play two to four matches a year. During the weigh-in, they can weigh as much as their series requirement, but otherwise the weight usually moves much higher.
Chaaban squirms when asked how much weight is normally lost for matches? 20 kilos?
“Not really, I’d say 17
.”
Omran Chaaban started freestyle at the age of 15 without any sports background. The sport took off right away.
Competitors live together in a big house in Las Vegas for four weeks of filming. Everything possible is described. Before that, the contestants lived in a hotel for two weeks.
Usually, the fighter prepares in his own gym, far from the opponent, whom he only sees at the weigh-in. Now the opponents are at the same breakfast table.
In the first round of the match, Chaaban defeated the Russian Shamidkhan Magomedov with the strangulation of the second batch.
“
“They’re complete bullshit, yes they get big money there.”
Magomedov is a UFC legend from Dagestan Khabib Nurmagedov from the gym. He was one of the early favorites of the series.
Magomedov is also a Muslim. Before Chaaban and Magomedov knew they would meet each other, they used to pray together. When they became adversaries, everything got weird.
“Of course we said goodbye, but the mind game came along. The intervals got colder, we didn’t play billiards anymore.”
Omran Chaaban takes off Handcuffs after training. Coach Sami Mehamedi in the background.
Of course, you couldn’t talk about minor injuries in the house, you had to train as if nothing hurt you. The mental game was included in everyday encounters.
“If the other person asks how you slept, of course, well, what about yourself?”
How was it after the match, were there still moments of prayer together?
“No, that was all there was to the prayers. But he was a good guy, he just became a little more humble.”
In the house could not keep in touch with the outside world or family or be in his own circumstances. How did you end up in the reality TV commune?
“Very well, I thought this was just another task. I kept myself relaxed, some tried to play some role, but I was myself. Time went really fast in the end.”
In his second match, Chaaban faced the American by Ryan Loderwho won the semi-final match by points.
Even though Chaaban didn’t get a spot in the finals, he’s been working hard with his UFC career in mind. Chaaban, who recently turned 24, was the youngest player of the season.
“I was the youngest, in a lower weight class than my own division, I also won the pre-favorite, I have an entertaining match style.”
“There are fighters in the UFC right now who have lost their first matches in previous TUF seasons,” Chaaban points out.
Series filming is over, but not all episodes have been shown yet. So Chaaban cannot reveal the latest plot twists. But it looks like there are still plenty of surprises.
Is the UFC contract in your pocket?
“I won’t say anything to that. When things clear up, they clear up.”
The UFC has faced criticism for underpaying fighters or hanging them out of contracts without offering them fights.
Chaaban’s point of view on the matter is that of the man of Kuifirma.
“They’re complete bullshit, yes they get big money there.”
UFC is a big marketing machine fueled by personalities and stories. Chaaban feels that he can get by in that world with his own straightforward style.
A suitable conflict is already there to support the arc of the drama. Chaaban’s old teammate, same weight class Ian Garry fights in the UFC.
Ian Garry (right) defeated Michael Page at UF 303 in June in Las Vegas.
Garry was kicked out by Chaaban’s coach because he caused trouble in the gym. Since then, Garry has received departure passes from other places as well.
“Koutsi threw him away when his attitude changed, maybe he got a little pissed off. We don’t like our toss at all, bad blood. He tried to get me out of the gym, talked bad. He didn’t like it when I was doing so well in training with him.”
Could a showdown with Garry send the water bottles flying at the weigh-in?
“Yes, I bet something would fly, maybe more than water bottles.”
#Free #Match #Finnish #businessman #turned #euro #deal #Money #doesnt #interest
