By their nature, mixed-martial arts (MMA) fighters are rarely short on confidence. But when the Abu Dhabi Warrior Fighting Championships gets under way at Ipic Arena on Saturday, it will take some effort to find a competitor with as much self-belief as Frenchman Karl Amoussou.
The 29-year-old welterweight’s early ambition has taken him around the world — and tutorship under a fighting institution — to ensure he became an MMA champion.
“My brother was my judo trainer when I was 18, and then he moved to MMA,” Amoussou said. “I wanted to fight MMA. I was begging him to fight, but he told me I was not ready.
“I was a big fan of Wanderlei Silva, but I thought, ‘OK, I’m not ready, so I’m going to Brazil.’ I trained with Silva for three months and that’s how I became an MMA fighter.”
The Paris-born Amoussou, who answers to the nickname “Psycho”, has martial arts in his blood. His Beninese father was a karate expert and older brother Bertrand won a bronze medal for France in the 78kg category at the 1990 European Judo Championships.
He began training judo before the age of 4. “I was black belt when I was 16,” Amoussou said.
His record since he started fighting MMA 10 years ago stands at 19 wins, seven defeats and two draws from 28 pro fights. One fight stands above all others for him.
“I’m really proud of having won the Bellator tournament” in 2012, he said.
“It’s my biggest achievement so far. And now I guess the thing I will be very proud of is fighting in the UAE and knocking my opponent out in front of everybody.”
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Amoussou on Saturday will take on Russia’s Abdulmajid Magomedov, who has won nine of 10 bouts, in a welterweight fight.
“This fight came at really short notice,” Amoussou said. “I’ve known that I was going to fight for about two weeks only.
“But I was getting for a fight myself, anyway. I fought in France on September 19” — defeating compatriot Florent Betorangal by submission — “so I’m obviously more than ready. I’m now completely ready to wreak havoc and make a big statement on Saturday.”
Before becoming a professional MMA fighter, Amoussou said he worked as an undercover agent apprehending drug offenders.
He is confident he will overcome Magomedov whatever direction the fight goes.
“Of course, I’m comfortable with all aspects of my fighting,” he said.
“I think that even though judo is my base, now my biggest strength is my striking. I’m going to knock my opponent out. If it goes to the ground, I know he is a very good wrestler. If he happens to take me down, which I don’t think he will be able to, I will submit him.
“After 19 wins, I have 12 submissions, so my ground game is excellent. In 2012, my submission was voted Submission of the Year by Sherdog (a website dedicated to MMA), so my ground skills are amazing.
“He will get knocked out and if it goes to the ground, I will submit him. It won’t go to the end.”
It is Amoussou’s first trip to the UAE and, having landed in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, he has not had a chance to look around much.
“We’ll have time to train, of course,” he said. “I had no trouble making weight because I was already light from my last fight. I’m in really good shape, I feel great and I’m ready and proud to fight in Abu Dhabi.”
He is hoping to get a chance to look around the capital once the business inside the cage is seen to.
“I haven’t seen anything of Abu Dhabi so far,” Amoussou said. “I will have some time later. I would really like to see some parts of the town because it’s amazing to have the opportunity to travel to different places around the world, and it would be a shame not to take the chance to see the country a little bit.”
If his confidence is anything to go by, he will do so with yet another win under his belt.
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