Fighters often talk about their journeys to the big time, but few can claim a trip as arduous as the one Saidyokub Kakhramonov took to get to Vegas in time for UFC Vegas 34
As he told MMAFighting.com When Kakhramanov got the call, he was still on his father’s farm in Uzbekistan, tending to the livestock. He’d returned to Uzbekistan from Los Angeles, where he was staying, and getting sick of barely scraping by.
Saidyokub Kakhramonov’s Insane Journey from Uzbekistan to the UFC
“When I was going through all that I was like, ‘I’m tired of living this life. I’m gonna just go.
At the moment, my father was in Uzbekistan, he’s like, ‘Just come visit, just something different.’ I was just so tired of living in America. Nothing was going my way. I’m broke, I have debts over my head, and I just went back to Uzbekistan. My dad bought me a ticket and I was just there hanging out, helping him out, riding horses, and taking care of sheep and sh*t.”
And then I get the call [from the UFC] and I’m like, holy cow, I’ve been in California for so long. Training, being in shape, now I get the call when I’m not even training. … As soon as the phone call came in, I’m like, ‘Man, I’m gonna make it no matter what.’ I’m gonna just go.’”
That’s exactly what Kakhramanov did, taking the next flight to the USA. Event his stage of his journey was beset by delayed flights, missing luggage, and a lengthy layover in Moscow, Russia.
“I got to Vegas Wednesday at 7pm. I was 146, 145 [pounds], and I went straight to bed. I can’t even train, I’m tired, I lost my baggage. I had to leave my baggage at the airport because I didn’t have enough time to check in. That’s how tight it was. I almost missed my flight. Ten seconds, thirty seconds, I almost missed my flight.
I mean, it’s a cool story, I guess. Why would I have it easy? I’ve never had anything easy in my life. I never had anything easy in my life. Even this came in the hardest way. I promise 100 percent if it was anybody else in my shoes, they wouldn’t make it. I told a taxi driver, ‘The ETA was 12:47 for the next airport.
My flight’s at 1 p.m.’ I told him, ‘Hey, you better break some rules or I’m gonna fight you, I don’t care.’”
Kakhramanov ended up making the fight and defeating Trevin Jones via guillotine choke in the third round.
Do you think Saidyokub Kakhramonov has a future in the UFC with this kind of positive attitude? Let us know in the comments.
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