The Afghan Killa prepares for Strikeforce
Considered to be a veteran fighter in the famous Japanese mixed martial arts promotion Shooto, the 26-year old Siyar Bahadurzada is heading up the MMA ladder.
A native of Afghanistan, Bahadurzada made his MMA debut on 2002, and since then, he defeated many tough opponents including Leandro Silva, Evangelista Santos and Carlos Alexandre Pereira.
As a result of his outstanding performances, he is now the current light-heavyweight title holder of Shooto.
Last August 6, he successfully defended his title against Carlos Alexandre Pereira. It has been yet another highlight-reel of Bahadurzada’s career, as he was able to finish the match with a dramatic KO on the first round.
He's achieved plenty already given his young age. But for him, his career still has a long way to go.
Many big promotions have already witnessed Bahadurzada’s aggressiveness in a match and taken an interest in the fighter. Now Strikeforce, the second largest MMA promoter in the U.S, and arguably the world has signed him and is looking to book his first fight. Bahadurzada was already booked for a four-fight contract with the said promotion earlier this year, but his debut is yet to be announced.
“Whenever they call me up for anybody, I'll be ready,” said Bahadurzada. in an interview with MMAjunkie.com. ”I can't wait to fight in Strikeforce."
It seems like the “Afghan Killa” is itching his back to fight for Strikeforce to showcase his skills for the Americans.
Bahadurzada promised that his Strikeforce debut will be worth the wait especially for the fans. Though he is currently fighting for the light-heavyweight division of Shooto, he is willing to have a weight class stint at either middleweight or welterweight on his debut. Shooto's LHW division is 183lb, which corresponds to the 185lb middleweight division in the U.S, but the Afghan Killa's willingness to fight at welterweight would see him cut weight to reach that division's 170lb limit.
“I've been training really hard the last couple of years,” he said. “Since I [became] Shooto champion in 2007, I started really taking this sport seriously. Before that, I used to train three times a week, five times at the most,” he added.
Strikeforce has given Bahadurzada a great privilege that he has long-awaited. Now, he has to give everything that he’s got to prove the Strikeforce fans that he has a place in this business.
Born in Afghanistan, Bahadurzada has been accustomed with its dangerous environment, and for him, it is where he learned his fighting skills and abilities.
It is indeed a dangerous place to live, but Bahadurzada manage to survive the harsh, war-torn environment of Afghanistan. In 1999, his family moved to the Netherlands where he formally began his MMA career.
"I was used to this constant excitement because of the war. Every day you didn't know if you were going to make it through the day,” told Bahadurzada. “I was born with this kind of excitement. When I came to Holland, there was no kind of excitement like that for me, so I was bored,” he continued.
The Afghan environment and his excitement played a big role in shaping his abilities, in fact.
Training out of the well-known Golden Glory and Tatsujin Dojo, Bahadurzada’s Shooto debut was worth remembering. He had an enthralling six-win streak from 2002 to 2003, where he defeated his opponents by way of either knock-outs or submissions.
Though he is known for his devastating KO punches, strikes and others, Bahadurzada believes that he also possesses grappling and wrestling skills.
“I actually have a great feeling for wrestling. Being an Afghan, we have lots of wrestlers in Afghanistan. When I was in America, Ryan Parsons – [ American MMA fighter and wrestler Muhammad Lawal's] manager – he was very impressed with how I handled takedowns. He said I could have been a very good wrestler,” said Bahadurzada.
The Afghan Killa already showcased his formidable skills in Shooto, but American fans have yet to see him. With several fall cards lined up, he should get his chance soon to show another continent what he's made of.
“I'll fight for Strikeforce any day, any time. I'm looking forward to fighting in America for the U.S. fans.”
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