Omar Tugarev

Ringkasan

Omar joined me to speak about his cage warriors title victory on two weeks notice and how it felt to win the belt We spoke about his move to Ireland, why he picked team KF and plenty more

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Kind: captions Language: en Oh, okay. So, I'm here with Umar Tuguff uh from Team KF. H he's just back from a bit of a family holiday as well. He's well deserved after the year and a half that he's had recently becoming the Cage Warriors champion on two weeks notice. He's also the youngest champion as well that was ever in Cage Warriors. Thank you very much for joining me on this Sunday morning. How are you? And uh how are you feeling? >> Well, I didn't know that I am the youngest champion. I want to find this like who is the youngest but if I'm youngest I'm really really happy to have this the title but yeah >> so I think I got that from Chris's post I think Chris said you were the the youngest I'll have to double check that now I might be wrong >> wow that's good that's that's really big for me but yeah good to be back like in Ireland like all my teammates are here like my close friend is here like uh yeah like time in Finland is very good like I said that you know uh you can't get like too comfortable like you need to go back in here like to train like hard with my teammates and uh achieve those dreams. Yeah. And and obviously you came to Ireland it was only about a year and a half ago wasn't it you came over to team KF? What what made you come over to Ireland and to to team KF in particular? >> Yeah. So I was searching for like uh how can say in Finland I see like I felt like I don't get like any better anymore and you know like all the training place like where I've been h feels like everything like so same like I don't feel like I'm getting better and like yeah and then I feel like I need to be more professional like I need to have like some professional team like every day I have coach I have plan what we doing every day so by accident ombra tell told me like I told the owner like listen bro like I need to like uh go some some another place and then he was like uh maybe you try like team KF and Dublin and then I was like ah team KF Dublin I never heard about this team like I don't know is it like good or something like but I was like okay I'm going to try it like I'm not not going to miss nothing and Omar had very good results so yeah and then I was like I'm very like tough fighter this this like no problem like um then I came there and I get beat up so badly like uh almost like uh how can say like like almost everyone like beat me so badly I was like what is happening like how this guy is so good and then I didn't know like couple names I was thinking like this guy is 100% like in UFC this guy is like close to UFC and then yeah but the most important thing what I I see that in the team is like it's small loyal him and like everyone trusting each other like I this is the best thing but I see like and the coach is always in training like shows up teaching like like really like things like real things not like you know from Jackie Chan movie but like real fighting like uh what is like nowadays is like you need to do we do these things so yeah it was like I was like very impress impressed like and happy to be here like >> yeah Chris Fields and Tom Kane Chris Fields especially I'd have a lot of contact with from from being out of shows. And one thing I get from Chris is if you give 100% he will give you 110%. Someone told me he came back from a family holiday on a Saturday. He flew back from Spain to Ireland to corner and then flew back to Spain. I'd say his wife wasn't very happy. But it just goes to show that Chris will put everything into you if you give him everything you have. Would that be a true statement? >> Yeah, 100%. even more like you know uh sometimes you have these days like your body is like a little bit like in pain you train like too much and then you know like Chris going to show up in training so you can't even think like twice like I'm going or not you're just like I'm going to get up get get little better like better warm up and then you know like you just go train like that's the like thing uh if you coach show up like teaching every day you can't even think like I'm going to show up or not it's like disrespect So yeah. >> Yeah. Cuz cuz like that he's he's taking that cuz you know yourself there's not a huge amount of money in MMA. There's not a huge thing that like when Chris is showing up and you're showing up he's know you're showing up because it's your passion. It's what you want to do and and you want to become champion. And we're going to talk about the bit of a bit of a streak that you're on as well. In 18 months you've had what now it's eight fights. That's about two and a half months a fight kind of. What has you so active? because you don't usually see professional fighters as active as this. >> Yeah. So, you know, like I love to be in Ireland, train, get better all the time. But, you know, I don't have any sponsors like we're going to help me like. So, I know like if Chris believe in me and he say like you can fight at this space, I'm going to fight at this pace. And uh how can say at beginning it's very good to fight like often like all the time but you know like now my opponents get like much better and now I need to prepare like much much like uh quality needs to be better when you're fighting at this big pace like fast pace you're going to get some injuries like because your body is like all the time in the camp. So yeah, um I think this was and one one thing is like I didn't have like sponsors so I need to get money for my camps. So yeah, this was it wasn't like the reason because you know I always say this if you're fighting for money you're going to like there going to be tough times in the cage and you're going to lose because you think about money. I'm thinking about legacy like be the best uh best fighter in the world. So yeah. Yeah. Like this is what I'm thinking about this. >> Yeah. You know, I like that money cuz like we we just said it there there's not much money in MMA and if people go in thinking about money, I think it's it's the wrong not the wrong way to look at it, but only the likes of Conor McGregor and Jon Jones will make the money that they make. There isn't. And you see the UFC, you start 12 and 12. It's about being a fighter and a fighter's legacy and and a fighter's lifestyle, I think, is a lot different and you have to be wired different. At what stage did you realize you wanted to be a fighter? What brought you to fighting? Yeah. So, uh when I was like very young, I had like school bullying like crazy. Um like uh when I was in the school, it was like um how can I say I was little bit like in the village. I was growing up in the village and I'm little bit like I have Palestinian like I'm half Palestinian. So I'm little bit like uh you know like I have dark hair this this. So everyone was bullying me because of that like because everyone was like white. So yeah, they was like bullying me and I have like my mom is like uh alone like bro like like uh she was like I don't have that I don't have other so my I didn't I cannot say to my mom like listen like can you defend me like I need to defend myself because it's mom like you know it's not for defend uh so yeah I was starting k first then I started uh kung fu you know k the kid movie from that everything comes and Then I started boxing and you know like uh Kart and Kufu I was thinking it's self defense but it's much was more like some meditation like what he was doing in training. I was like this not going to help me against bullies in the school. And then I was like okay then when I started boxing I was like wow this going to help. Yeah. Then every time when I get bullied I just put my fist like this and then every bullies like run out. >> Yeah. It just shows that bullies are really cowards at the end of the day that when they pick on people who can't defend themselves, when someone's able to defend themselves, like you said, they they just run away. Um, but obviously you started for self-defense, but what led you down the road of MMA? What what made you want to compete? >> Yeah. So with boxing first it was like uh only self-defense of course but then I follow in this like when I was in the school like uh in the lessons I was like I didn't even like care about like uh about what teacher is saying I was seeing about my boxing training all the time like I was like oh today is powering day today is this day technique so I was like and then my uh coach in the boxing he told me like oh you need to compete you are very good like then I was like Okay. Like uh I want to compete in the boxing. Then three times I went to the competition and there was always like some problems like my my opponent didn't show up or something like that. Then I was like ah like maybe boxing is not for me because it's like three times in a row like nothing happened. Uh then I went to the MMA gym and there was one guy he was like his name is Edward Walls. So he see in me like uh straight up like potential and we started to do with with him like light rounds and then uh we had like three minutes uh clock like 3 minute 3 minute 3 minute rounds and then after three rounds we put a clock off and 13 minutes we was like banging with him like nonstop like d then he was like yeah I see like uh I see like big potential in you like because this guy was professional fighter and I was back then 16 years old and he was like this guy is don't not giving up like I'm going like straight away like at him all three minutes we and then he's like there's one show uh three weeks like from this day are you interested to compete I was like yeah yeah I want to compete you know nothing like no wrestling nothing I just had my boxing background yeah >> yeah and like that with with MMO you you had s you've got a very extensive amateur career as well and I know it's one of the things was you competed in the IMAFS as well. Talk to us about your IMAF experience and and the benefits or the positives that you gained out of it and and things that maybe you think they could change. >> Yeah, so the biggest problem for me was always getting money for competition. It's like it's like highest level all the countries like give the best athletes but you know I start to see struggles when I had the opponents who is like you know who is not working in the like daily job they are like how can say they only train so these guys was like hard opponents but uh I win couple guys and then the couple guys I lost but like you know uh it's like in amateur I think it's the highest level where you can compete because it's like uh you're going to train a lot of things like weight cut, you're going to like uh go another country to compete and there's like a lot of things like behind the scenes like when you go at the scale there's like you need to wait like maybe two hours to get to the scale. Uh you need to arrive like on time every place and then you fight you know you can see like bracket your fight is like in 1 hour but it can be like in five hours. So you can get like mentally very strong. So yeah, but uh if you have like uh how can say it's not the most important thing like in amateurs but if you have like uh in your country like in Finland it's very big MMF. So like almost everyone needs to compete at MMF if they if they wants to go pro. So yeah, it's good experience like I can say like to los athletes like do this like if you can. >> Yeah. No, I think it is really good. It teaches like said a lot of different things because you have to make way every day. So you have to have some sort of your discipline level has to be extremely high and especially when your teammates are knocked out and they're eating nice food and you can't eat nice food. How hard is that? >> Yeah, that's very hard. When I won gold in the European Championships, I remember you know what is the the strangest thing? First day you cut weight, it's like very easy. Second day is getting a little bit harder. Third day is like harder and then harder. So you know like you can't have even like big weight cuts because it's going to affect your fight. Like we had in Finnish team one guy he was cutting like 5 kilo every day. It's like I think maximum is two or three kilo and first day he cut it like uh second day he I think yeah second day he cut weight and third day he had fight and he was like he didn't have any energy like in the fight he was like oh it's too much like so yeah but how can say what was the question sorry I forget >> it I was just talking about the discipline every day and and having to make weight every day and how hard it was. Oh yeah, it was pretty hard like uh in the Italy like they have very good pizza and pasta and I love pasta so much. So it was hard to see this every day but I was thinking like this gold medal going to feel like 10 10,000 times like better. So and it felt like that. >> Yeah. Cuz cuz that gold only comes around might only come around once or twice in a lifetime. That pasta that pizza is going to be there for the rest of your life. So for two or three days you can you can stay off it. But when you when you went into pro and and you're looking at your records, you've got seven out of uh seven finishes out of eight fights. How does it feel to be going in there and putting away people like that? Because when it comes to like the likes of the UFC and stuff, they're looking at people who are looking to finish fights. Was that something that was always you you were always going in to look for the finish? Cuz there's only one decision on your professional record. >> Yeah. Yeah. So for me it's like um when I step in the cage I always think about the guys you know like you get like 500,000 even like €10,000 like whatever like you can get you held back. So I was thinking always when I step in the cage Omar like be smart do your job if your opponent is bad at wrestling wrestle with him. is his battle striking strike with him. Be like smart because you know you can come in the cage and you can like get so unnecessary like damage and it's can affect your like career. I see lot spider likes like like some people like they get like maybe 1k and people is like oh I was there like it was like blew the fight and everything robot you know like some drunk people going to see like you fighting and then they going to like cheer you up like for two hours and then everyone forget for you but you're going to have their CTE like you you're going to have you're going to be broke you can't fight anymore so I think every fight you need to be you need to have great strategy how you beat your opponent and go in there like stay clean head and win the the fights like uh without damage as like the less damage the better like Yeah. >> Yeah. No, 100%. And you're the one putting the damage and putting people away and I'm just going to go back or or fast forward to the Cage Warriors fight. You fought on UA Warriors and you fought on other promotions. That was your Cage Warriors debut I believe. Yeah, that was your first time on Cage Warriors and to get a title shot is quite amazing on two weeks notice. How did that come about? Talk to us about how that came about and how you said yes. >> Yeah, you can make like movie about this story. It's like so crazy story. So I was three months in the in the Ireland. I was like training all the time and then you know like um I didn't have any fights coming and then I go like my money uh like situation go like this low low low low low and I have don't have like any sponsors who can like help me. So I was like, "Oh no, like it's it's getting like tough a little bit." Then I was like, "Thinking like, oh, like what is happening?" Like, you know, like and not not fights. And then I think it was like one and a half months before I get like one fight. I not I'm not going to say nothing about this promotion because you know like it's going to be bad for them like but you know one and a half months ago like I get like uh like opponent and then I was like okay now I have opponent uh it was like pretty good money like for that time uh then I was like waiting the fight all the time uh like contract you know I had the opponent they told me like a you like matched like just wait like contract then imagine like uh one and a half month I get the opponent. I was like okay I'm not I'm I'm still like preparing all the time and then like one week before fight I still don't have contract and my friends see from topology like my opponent have changed opponent so I don't I I didn't get any notice about that and then I'm like broke no money nothing I was like oh now I'm like you know like I'm like I was like oh no how it can happen like best shape but I have like weight cut is very smooth like it was for 70 kilo I was So like I was like, "Oh no, now it's like everything is falling down." Then I get like depressed. I was thinking like I I like to do walk uh in the road like here like uh in Ireland I walk every night like 10,000 20 steps and think like oh how it can be like I get like really depressed and before I didn't know what is like mental health and then I get like big mental health issues you know like when you come in training everyone is laughing you don't get any laugh like you know you are like you be like in your own zone. Yeah. And then I was thinking like crazy like you know if not my religion like you know I'm thinking like I was thinking like deep things like I was thinking like why people make it like uh how can say uh why people make suicide and those things like I was thinking like like uh how happy that that my religion is helping me like a lot like we have this saying like in the religion like after all hardship comes is yeah and then how it happened everything like that's that's that's what happened And now even when I walking in the shops, I remember when I was depressed, I walk and I see like myself back in this time and I'm like, bro, like you made it. Like that's crazy. >> Yeah, it is. It's like that cuz like you were saying, you over in Ireland, it's hard. It's like you said, there's no sponsors, there's money, and that is like I said, you're not doing it for money, but you do need money to live and to run your camps as well. So I can imagine one week out and it sounds like the promotion obviously you didn't say the promotion but it that's completely unprofessional in the way you were treated to to the week of the fight and did they not even ever notify you that it was changed had like had they contacted you? >> No they didn't. >> No. So well well they're So h but with going on to Cage Warriors you going to cage warriors interm championship. How were you feeling going in taking it on two weeks notice? I'm assuming you're always ready, so it's it's not too much of a a big deal for you to just jump in on two weeks. >> Yeah. So, I I told to Chris like, "Chris, I'm really broke." I can't even ask like Chris like someone like money because they have families like, you know, I I feel very like bad when I do this. So, I was like, I know I'm going to Finland. I see my family, my granny, my my everyone. And you know when I arrived in Finnish airport, I was thinking like in my head like this is the best country in the world because you know it's like home for me. Like I've been living there all all my life. I know all the places and I was straight up to the to the work. Uh I started working like what is this like moving service you know like I go like uh some guy is moving I take all his stuff and move to the other. So yeah, I went there. I was so positive like ah I get the work like I'm happy because me uh there was really and uh Jo was working like but is this like um constructions and these things like I was like nothing shameful in that like you know like I'm happy that I can work and earn my money like uh like how can I say the clean way like no drugs nothing like you know many people sells drugs I think it's shameful like you know you have two hands two legs like you need to do the real So yeah, I went to work and you know what happened in there? There was like one guy. He was like very big guy and he was like uh we had like uh TVs, you know, we was like picking up like 50 kilo TVs like there was like 120 TVs and he was all the time like why you are so slow? Why you so slow like this? I was like this guy is disrespecting me like why why he's doing this? Then uh he was doing this all the time like like almost all work day and he's like big guy he was then I was think like in my head like ah this guy thinks like I'm some like skinny guy who is like scared on him. So I I was like wrapping the TV with one thing and he take take the thing with out of my hands and he was like listen you do too slow is like uh get get off my way. They was like oh this guy is expecting me too much. Then I was rapping this thing and then he make like say again like some like noise like you know like so slow. I throw the thing like down. I was like listen like guy you need to learn how to respect people like and I was ready to like like beat him like in the work. So I was I was like thinking like okay this guy is big maybe like 100 kilo maybe first take not going to go so I need to do like little bit like game plan. in my head the game plan. I was thinking he gonna say something back. Then he was like, "Are you angry?" And then I was like, "Yeah, I'm like angry like you know like you doing like uh so so many things like in the world like you can do these things like you need to be respectful." And there was one old guy like over 50 years old. He did to him the like same things. I was thinking like I need to put this guy on his face. Then I was like listen like you need to know how to act like the people. You can't disrespect nobody like you know you're going to stop now. And then he was like, "Oh, did did I hurt you, Felix?" Something like that. Then I was like, "Listen, like uh I was speaking with him like, you know, a little bit rough. I wanted him like to attack me." Then I want to beat him. Then then then uh then he was like, "Oh, I'm very sorry. Like I didn't know like I I I said like something bad and it's going to hurt you." Then I was like, "Listen, like uh this this." He say sorry to me and then rest of the day he didn't speak to me. I was so happy like after that like you know like I just come to the work like to earn my money like no not for something like somebody disrespecting me like so yeah and then at the evening I was walking I was like what a day like you know I come to feel that you know so many things happen in Ireland and then some guy like tried to like make my day worse. I was walking and then Chris messaged me like Omar we have some fight I've been thinking all day about this and I was like oh what fight like he he been thinking like about all day like I was thinking like what is this fight it need to be like something big and then he did like k title in two weeks I was like in two weeks that's crazy like and then I was like okay can I think to till the morning and then I was like ah let's go like I'm ready to go and the rest is history. Yeah. And how did it feel winning the belt and winning the title and and I know obviously you belt's a belt, but it kind of shows all the hard work you've done to this stage. I know there's going to be plenty more in your career with the way it started, but how did it feel to win the Cage Warriors belt? Because Cage Warriors in Europe for a long time has been associated with going into the UFC. So, how did it feel to to win that belt in particular? uh you know like you can't describe the feeling of course but it's something like unreal like you know it's just it just shows like um guy like me like can't can do this like it's like where I came from I was thinking like it's only dream like I I was thinking like all these people who carrying this belt they're like something special like you know like but it's nothing special it's just hard work great team behind you great people behind you and yeah a lot of sacrifice of course like and you know like uh even like the the how can say when I was in Finland I was like broke I didn't have money and then a couple of my friends uh give me like money to come to Ireland finish my camp and you know uh the safe MMA medicals or that was that was real fight too like I need to make MRI uh blue test and uh eye test so it was so much I need to do in this two weeks but after everything I make it like I did everything. It was like the best feeling in the world. It was like amazing you know all the suffering like it's it really like it felt like it's real like you know like uh what happened like after all the hardship comes is like you know and it's happening like uh you know if I need to go everything else everything like same things again I will go because the feeling about after this everything like it felt so good. you know, I can imagine and like that a lot of people will see like would see you fighting and they they'll see you for the 15 minutes or whatever's in there. But and that's why I like to try and interview fighters and show what what's goes on behind the scenes. Like winning that belt isn't just one camp. It isn't one night. That's your life that you've basically you've put in there. And I I don't think people realize what you do sacrifice. You can't go out to social events as much as everyone else. You don't see your family as much. like you've moved you've literally moved away from your family to try and create a better life. Do you think do you think people understand that that watch MMA that wouldn't be involved in MMA? >> No, nobody understand this like you know and you need to explain this like properly because you know loads fighters they're like they don't show the real side in the MMA like you know uh I'm really happy to be MMA fighter but it's like very tough. It's one of one of the like toughest sports in the world like you know. So yeah, but at the same time like this sport helps slow lots people to go out of the streets you know many people end up like doing drugs and some people can like save himself like with MMA like so there's lots of good things but you need to be like openly like what happens behind the scenes like it's not that easy. >> Yeah, it's not cuz I remember there's a guy MAGA he's from Cork. He's originally from Slovakia and he brought us over to do like a documentary on his he fights out of Ireland but he's from so he went back to Slovakia and for us to do like a mini documentary and he lost um and I said look at the end of the day you've you've brought us over here if you don't want us to release it we we won't release it like this is all yours you've paid for it and he said no I want people to see that it's not glamorous and it's not a fairy tale I went back to my home country to make my professional debut and lost and this is what happens to a lot of people that I So, he goes, "I I don't want to just put it out if it's good. If it's bad, if it shows what MMA really is, that's what I want to do." And and I appreciated that as well because a lot of people might have said, "No, you know what? Don't put that out." But he he wanted to show people it's not all it's not glamorous and it's not it's not filled with money and there is a lot that goes into it and sometimes you don't always get it back out of it. >> Yeah, that's the thing. Yeah. Like, you know, if you lose fights, it's like very bad like you know. So yeah, it's like very rough spot, you know, not everyone going to make it. >> Yeah. No, exactly. Exactly. Cuz you look at how many people in the UFC, how many champions are there? How many people have been in the UFC 10 12 years and never touched the championship and and like that. But you just have to just focus, do your thing. You you seem to be on the right track anyways with the the 8 and0 and finding uh team KF because I think they're a fantastic team. But going forward, obviously you won the Cage Warriors interm. Are you now signed to Cage Wires or was like have you got a multi-fight deal out of if you can't say don't if you're not allowed to say don't say it but are you I would assume they would have offered you a contract because you won a belt. >> Yeah. I'm standing with Kos. Yeah. >> Yes. So obviously you're going to try and unify the belts and then go on forward. Uh so is there is there any plans for a fight? Is there any plans for a fight at the minute for yourself? If you can't say dog, >> I want to go like as like in eight weeks in Dublin. I want to go like a lot. It will be like perfect for me like to fight in Dublin. >> Yeah. No, it would that's going to be some show and you can see the excitement as the fights are getting announced now all all the the guys. But look, I I'm going to let you go. It's been fantastic to talk to you. Thank you very much for your time. Is there anything you want to say before you go? Uh no just everyone who is watching all the best like be best version of yourself like uh all the best to everyone like yeah nothing else. >> Perfect. Thank you very much. Enjoy the rest of your day and I hope to see you in Dublin in eight weeks. >> Thank you. Have a good day. Byebye. >> Yes. Thank you. Do it.