Muhidin Abubakar is relishing the opportunity to headline FightStar Championship 25, in what he calls a “milestone” event in his career.
The promotion is over a week away from celebrating its 10th anniversary in a show that is expected to electrify the Indigo at the O2. August 5th is the date, and London, England, is the location. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the promotion’s social media.
Abubakar will clash with Andy Young for flyweight gold, and we got the chance to catch up with him ahead of the fight. Read the full exclusive below.
Interview With Muhidin Abubakar
Muhidin, just over a week until you walk on FightStar’s 10th anniversary. What does it mean to you to not only be involved in such a significant event but to be fighting for the flyweight strap?
It’s a great milestone for me to main eventing a show and as a professional. And fighting for the belt will show me how far I’ve come in my career and will show that I’m on the right track in my career.
2022 at UAE Warriors saw you face your first professional loss. How did you handle that loss at that time? What did you take away from the fight with Biko? Can you reflect on that time and your feelings after the fight?
Losses are always tough, but they always benefit you. I handled it as I think you should handle any hardship in life, which is with your head up while looking to find solutions and make things better. I like to think I addressed it well. I was upset, of course, but I learnt a lot about myself and fixed some mistakes, and I took nothing away from my opponent. He did a great job.
Following your loss, you returned with a bang taking out Martin Fouda in the first round. How important was it for you to return with a win and find yourself back in the winning bracket?
No fighter wants to lose, so when you do lose, it lingers over you until you wipe it out with a win. It was important for me because I just needed to get the ball rolling and my career going again.
Muhidin Abubakar Talks Background into MMA
I like to ask those I’ve never spoken with how their MMA journey got started. Can you tell me a bit about your background and why you first got started in MMA?
I started training in karate at the age of 10. When I was about 14, a friend of mine invited me to his mma gym, and I just went, not thinking much of it. Once I started, I just kept at it, and now I’m stuck in this life, unfortunately.
Looking at your resume, you’re still in the early days of your pro-career, but a 100% finish rate in your wins is something promoters at major organisations will be licking their lips at. Although you’ve got a fight next Saturday, is attracting major organisations something on your mind right now?
I’m not looking past Andy Young at all. I’ve finished all my fights, but I haven’t had the type of competition I would have liked to have. I know myself as a fighter, and I know that if I show my skills, regardless of whether I get a finish or not, my style is exciting and a style that people always want to watch. I’m always hoping for better things after each fight, but at the same time, I don’t want to look too far ahead.
Andy Young’s Skillset
Aug. 5 in the Indigo at the O2 in London, England, you’ll meet Andy Young, who finds himself on a skid. What are your thoughts on this matchup overall and Andy’s skill set and previous body of work?
He’s an experienced veteran, and he’s been around in some decent fights. I think it’s an interesting matchup. Stylistically he’s not your everyday style, so it will be a good challenge. I think he’s aggressive and well-rounded, and he’s been in some good fights.
Andy has suffered a period of inactivity as of late. Do you feel that’ll be a negative factor for him on fight night?
No, I’m expecting him to come at his best. He’s very experienced. He’s been fighting for a long time and has had a lot of fights. I don’t think it’ll affect him too much. I’m preparing for him at his best, so whether he’s rusty or not is, it’s not something I can control, and I’m just going to go and do my job.
What Fans Can Expect
Finally, what can the fans attending expect to see from Muhidin Abubakar? Can we expect the judges to have a night off?
Fans can expect me to bring a great show and fight as hard as I can, and god willing to do anything in my power to get this victory and take this belt. As for the judges, who knows? As I said, I’m preparing for the best version of him, so I’m preparing for a 3-round fight, but of course, if a finish presents itself, I’ll take it.
Featured image credits to Muhidin Abubakar
