Mohammad
Alaqraa has traveled over 7,000 miles to train with the best.
He’s sacrificed a ton for his opportunity to shine on a major
stage, and it’s finally starting to pay off.

Despite the initial setback of not having sponsorship to travel to
the United States, Alaqraa’s determination was unwavering. He
applied to multiple schools and was eventually accepted on
scholarship at San Jose State University. But he didn’t settle for
a major that couldn’t help him as an athlete. He chose industrial
engineering, a field that would challenge his mind the same way
training challenged his body.

“I thought industrial engineering would help me open my businesses
and help me improve my English,” Alaqraa told Sherdog.com. “It was
just training and going to school. My trainers were tremendous and
made sure I didn’t miss sessions while I was still studying, but
now I’ve finally graduated and can focus on fighting
full-time.”

Having graduated in May, the undefeated middleweight now turns his
focus to the most significant fight of his career. Alaqraa (5-0)
will put his unblemished record on the line when he faces Youcef
Ouabbas (3-0) at
2024 PFL MENA 2 Regular Season on Friday. This fight, taking
place at The Green Halls in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is a culmination
of years of sacrifice and hard work, and a return to the Middle
East that feels like poetic justice.

“This is my dream,” Alaqraa said. “In the past, when I was
studying, I used to get really mad because I didn’t have much time
to train the way I wanted. If you ask anyone at AKA, they’ll tell
you I love to train. When we finish practice, I stay behind to ask
questions. Now I have the time to train and recover and that is the
dream for me right now.”

Despite balancing a heavy courseload and hours on the mat, Alaqraa
didn’t let his dual life slow him down in the cage. He debuted with
a second-round TKO, then followed it up with a first-round
submission in his next fight. Beating opponents wasn’t the hard
part. It was finding them. Alaqraa hasn’t fought since March 2023
and admits feeling discouraged regarding matchmaking. His shot in
the
Professional Fighters League couldn’t come at a better
time.

“My last fight was over a year and a half ago, and that’s just
because I couldn’t find fights,” he said. “But signing with PFL
MENA presents a beautiful opportunity. I’ve been saying all my life
that I’m the best in the Middle East. Since I stepped foot in AKA,
I’ve believed this and that one day I’ll be the best in the world.
PFL MENA is giving me a shot to prove this.”

If Alaqraa wins the eight-man tournament, he could earn a shot at
competing in the 2025 PFL Season next year for $1 million. He may
only have five fights on his ledger, but training at AKA allows
Alaqraa to consistently face the best in the world, including

Ultimate Fighting Championship pound-for-pound king Islam
Makhachev. Alaqraa helped Makhachev train for his lightweight
title defense against Dustin
Poirier and feels that Ouabbas will have his work cut out for
him.

“I used to think that I was the best in the world and nobody could
beat me,” Alaqraa said. “But when I first got to AKA, I wondered,
‘Why can I not beat these guys? Why can I not win here?’ I had to
train for two years before I could even prove my skills. But it’s
simple, iron sharpens iron.”

Alaqraa credits AKA grappling coach Ron Kessler for his
development. Kessler first told Alaqraa that he could see him
becoming a champion one day if he stuck with the grind. Alarqaa
heeded his advice and didn’t plan on making him look foolish.

Alaqraa has lived and trained in America for a long time and has
grown immensely as a fighter and a person, but his upbringing will
always be his foundation. He’s proud to be from Kuwait and wants to
show the world what that means.

“Kuwaitis have a powerful mindset, and when we put our minds to
something, we achieve it,” he said. “We’re bred from the lionheart
lifestyle. We don’t have a high level of MMA yet, but it all starts
with one world champion. When you become a champion, you bring all
this knowledge to your country, and it moves to the next
generation. So when I do become a world champion, many champions
from Kuwait will come after me.”

IMAK ADMIN

By IMAK ADMIN

Internationaler Kampfkunst und Kampfsport Kleinanzeiger