UFC-д элсэх мөрөөдөл нь биелээгүй тулаанч амьдралын шинэ эхлэлийг тавьж, 100 мянган ам.долларын шагналын төлөө өрсөлдөж байна.
Өнгөрсөн жил UFC-ийн “Contender Series” тэмцээнд Коди Чованчект ялагдсаны дараа Рафаэль Учегбу мэргэжлийн замнал болон хувийн амьдралдаа томоохон өөрчлөлтүүдийг хийжээ. Тэрээр Их Британиас Австрали руу шилжин суурьшиж, “Luistro Combat Academy”-д бэлтгэл сургуулилтаа хийх болсон нь түүний амжилтад эергээр нөлөөлсөн байна.
Учегбу PFL Africa тэмцээний хүрээнд Лагос хотноо болсон тулаанд Өмнөд Африкийн хүчтэй өрсөлдөгч Эдсон Мачаванег ялснаар хагас шигшээд шалгарсан. Бямба гарагт тэрээр Касабланка хотноо Ален Мажориктэй тулалдах бөгөөд энэхүү ялалт нь түүнийг арванхоёрдугаар сард болох финалын шатанд хүргэх юм.
Нигери гаралтай тулаанчийн хувьд эх орондоо тулалдах нь маш чухал туршлага болсон бөгөөд нутгийн дэмжигчдийн хайр хүндэтгэл түүнд ихээхэн урам зориг өгсөн гэдгээ онцолжээ. Учегбу хэрэв финалын шатанд ялалт байгуулж чадвал 100 мянган ам.долларын шагналын эзэн болох юм.
Дэлгэрэнгүй эх сурвалжийг харах
Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
One year ago, Raphael Uchegbu saw his UFC dreams dashed as he was stopped on Contender Series – now he is on the verge of claiming PFL gold.
Former Bellator star Uchegbu had built himself to the point of fighting in front of Dana White at the Apex in Las Vegas, but came up short for just the second time in his career. After the fact, he decided to make wholesale changes starting with a move across the world.
He relocated to Australia from the United Kingdom, and almost immediately got the call to represent Nigeria in the PFL Africa bantamweight tournament. On Saturday, he will take on Alain Majorique in a bantamweight clash that determines one half of December’s final.
- INSIDE PFL AFRICA: GM Elias Schulze details plan to find MMA’s future world champions
Raphael Uchegbu opens up about key changes ahead of PFL Africa tournament
When Raphael Uchegbu was beaten by Cody Chovancek in Las Vegas, he decided to turn his life around. He switched up his living conditions, and after a few months he was offered a slot in the bantamweight bracket for this year’s PFL Africa tournament.
He defeated the highly-touted South African Edson Machavane in Lagos, and on Saturday night competes in Casablanca, Morocco for a chance at the finals. Should he go all the way in December, he will pocket $100,000.
“The Contender Series fight was what it was,” he told Bloody Elbow ahead of his return in Casablanca. “I didn’t perform the way I wanted, I wasn’t at my best in there. It’s a lot of pressure being on that show and I had a lot going on with all sorts of different things in my life in the background.
“That’s no excuse, though. My job is to perform and I didn’t on the night so it was what it was. After the fight I moved to Australia and started a new life. I’ve got a new team now at the Luistro Combat Academy and since I’ve moved there it’s just all been super smooth.
“It was great for me to get the call to fight for PFL in Nigeria. As soon as I had actually made the move to Australia that was, like, on the cards straight away so I found a team, had the opportunity and grabbed it with both hands.”
Uchegbu may have been raised in the United Kingdom, but he is a proud representative of Nigeria and was thrilled to get the chance to fight in his ancestral home.
“It was an unbelievable experience to get to go to the motherland of Nigeria,” he added. “It was special for me. It was so exciting to get to just travel there and then to fight in front of the fans? The love and support they showed me was just super humbling and I was proud to represent Nigeria.”
