Mohammad Alaqraa is another product of the American Kickboxing Academy determined to make his mark in the MMA world. The fighter from Kuwait is set to make his PFL debut on 12th March 2024 against Youcef Ouabbas. Training at AKA has its fair share of advantages – one of the best is training under former lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov. Recently, I had the good fortune to interview Alaqraa and ask him about his upcoming fight and also Nurmagomedov. He had some interesting things to say about the 29-0 former champ.
During our conversation, I quizzed Alaqraa about all things Khabib. I asked what made the Dagestani a great fighter and also a coach. Alaqraa, who himself was in Dagestan at the time talked highly of the champion and also opined what made Khabib unstoppable in the octagon. The Kuwaiti fighter also talked about the grueling training sessions with Khabib where he pushed the fighters to their absolute limits.
Khabib, on the other hand, he has one weapon, but it’s not a weapon. It’s like an RPG bro. He has like maybe grappling game, but when he takes you down, you’re done and he gonna find a way to take you down. I don’t care how many times you’re gonna defend his takedown, he’s gonna take you down. When you’re down, you’re going to get smashed.
Mohammad Alaqraa on what makes Khabib unstoppable
The young fighter was in awe of Khabib and his ability to understand an opponent’s energy level throughout the fight. Once he gauges that he times his takedowns and drains the opponent. As expected, training with Khabib has been a real boon for the welterweight, who is 5-0 in his pro career. Other than training he also gave equal importance to nutrition. He talked about the importance of having a nutritionist in one’s camp.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Alaqraa’s training camp for this particular fight was his traveling to Russia. There he trained in the mountains, where the oxygen level was understandably low. This put his lungs under further stress. However, it helped him build the necessary cardiovascular strength to go the distance if needed. Apart from Khabib, Alaqraa also had the opportunity to train with the lightweight champion and pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, Islam Makhachev.
Mohammad Alaqraa on training with Islam Makhachev
Mohammad Alaqraa was training with Islam Makhachev when the latter was preparing for his lightweight title bout with Dustin Poirier. On asked about the difference between Makhachev and Khabib, Alaqraa gave an elaborate answer highlighting the fighting style of the lightweight champion.
Mohammad Alaqraa and Islam Makhachev (Via Instagram and IMAGO)Islam is just well-rounded. You don’t know what you should do when you fight him. Like, if you’re striking you’d be like, oh this guy is actually good. Let me take him down. You go to the ground, he’s actually good. When you start to clinch, he’s good in clinching. He would sacrifice position for a submission.
Mohammad Alaqraa on Islam Makhachev’s all around ability
The Kuwaiti fighter summed up why Makhachev is the best fighter in the world at the moment. Moreover, he emphasized learning from all the fighters from AKA, not just Khabib and Islam. The 5-0 fighter is always curious in the gym, asking questions to all the experienced fighters. He incorporated all that and devised his own style. So far, it has worked wonders for him giving an unbeaten record.
As such, the fighter remained confident about finishing his upcoming opponent. On being asked the way he would win, Alaqraa mentioned that it depends on the particular situation. However, he was flexible in his approach and would do what it took to get the win on July 12.
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