MMA career a marathon not a sprint for Abu Dhabi Warrior Ahmed Al Darmaki

Ahmed Al Darmaki will be the only Emirati competing at the Abu Dhabi Warrior Fighting Championship. Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Warrior Fighting Championship

He may be the only Emirati fighter at Saturday’s Abu Dhabi Warrior Fighting Championships, but Ahmed Al Darmaki is trying to keep a low profile.

The reason for the Abu Dhabi fighter’s reticence? He does not want to give his opponent any advantage inside the cage. It is one of the lessons he learnt from a fighting career that started six years ago.

“I used to be a long-distance runner, doing 15-kilometre, 20k, marathon,” Al Darmaki said.

“A friend — the poet Diab bin Ghanim Al Mazrouie — suggested fighting. He said, ‘You always do well running, you have such excellent fitness and fighting requires fitness. You can do 15k and sprints. Why don’t you use this to fight’?”

Still an amateur, Al Darmaki, 26, joined a gym in Abu Dhabi and things began to happen.

“I entered my first event three years ago. I finished first,” he said. “Though I was just trying it out, I ended up continuing down that road. I really enjoyed it after that.”

Between 2012 and early 2014, Al Darmaki recorded six wins in several martial arts, including a kick-boxing triumph in Thailand.

But then things went awry.

“In my two MMA fights, honestly, I was not training properly. I was not focused,” he said.

“In the first, I did not give my opponent proper respect. I thought I’d beat him with my superior fitness. I was defeated, and I lost my second fight, as well. But I learnt from my mistakes. I’ve worked on all my weaknesses, and now I am very excited about this fight.”

Taking a break from fighting in March 2014 helped get his career back on track, Al Darmaki said.

“I stopped after that loss. I had no sponsorship, and you need sponsorship in this sport. I vowed to form a proper team to have a professional outlook. I wanted to have special training programmes and health regimes, a private manager.”

Al Darmaki teamed up with the late Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouie, who was an adviser to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The Emirati credits Al Mazrouie for being the first to support him financially.

“Things turned serious after that. I was working from a strong base,” Al Darmaki said. “I had a manager, proper nutrition. I was cycling, climbing mountains. Today, for example, I had swimming. Everything is in order.”

Al Darmaki is careful to hide his strongest fighting discipline so as not to let his opponents use that knowledge against him. He recalls a harsh lesson learnt from his early days.

“I had a fight [before which] they told my opponent exactly what my strengths were, so he knew how to handle me straight away,” he said. “Now it’s different. It’s been two years but, honestly, that was a painful fight. Now at Warrior, they do not highlight what your strengths and weaknesses are.”

The Emirati has been training under a programme called GRCS — or Gameel Realistic Combat System — a style of fighting devised by Dubai-based instructor Gameel Al Beloushi.

“He came up with a new method of grappling and fighting that is different than other styles out there,” Al Darmaki said. “For example, if someone holds me in an arm bar, I can get myself out of it in a way that is not taught in jiu-jitsu. You can say he invented that. So the Brazilians have a certain method, but I go with what he taught me.”

Al Darmaki will face Ukraine’s Artiyom Gorodynets in the opening fight on Saturday at Ipic Arena in Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi.

“I’m very excited going into this fight,” he said.

“At the same time, I come with a plan. I’m hoping it does not go to the second or third round. I intend to do my business from the first round.”

In light of previous experiences, Al Darmaki was keen to stress that, although he is confident, he will not underestimate his opponent.

“I’ve seen a few of his fights, and I am not in any way taking him lightly. Never,” he said.

“I know what to expect from him. I know his strengths and weaknesses. I’m ready for anything. I have all the tools. I can fight on top or on the ground.

“I’m ready to grapple using GRCS. I’ll hopefully be the first Emirati fighter to do something special with this style.”

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