It is no secret that the first successful Kazakh fighter in the UFC was Russian Damir Ismagulov, who, in the most authoritative promotion of mixed martial arts in 2018, defeated the Australian Alex Gordez in his debut.

Having walked in the mountains, he felt that we were from here. Ilyas Hamzin – about family, friendship with Peter Yan, training camps in Almaty and UFC

It is no secret that the first successful Kazakh fighter in the UFC was Russian Damir Ismagulov, who, in the most authoritative promotion of mixed martial arts in 2018, defeated the Australian Alex Gordez in his debut.

Since that time, the contracts with the leading American organization of MMA have managed to sign domestic representatives of this sport – Shavkat Rakhmonov, Maria Agapova, Daggas Zhumagulov and Sergey Morozov.

One of the promising fighters who set themselves the task in the near future to be in Ultimate Fighting Championship is another athlete that is not alien to our country 29-year-old ethnic Kazakh from Russia Ilyas HamzinThe correspondent of Prosports.kz decided to get to know each other personally.

– Ilyas, according to open Internet sources, you were born in Kazakhstan, and then moved to Russia. Was it really so?

– In general, I was born in the Omsk region, so the information is a little inaccurate.

– Do you have relatives in Kazakhstan?

– There is, in Nur Sultan.

– How many years did you start engaged in martial arts and how did this happen?

– It happened very simple. We, like all the kids played football, and two guys in the middle of the game constantly left somewhere. One day I asked them where they were going. They said they go to kickboxing. Since we all grew up on Van Damma's films, I asked to go to the section with them, where they would also wave their feet and hands. So it all started.

– How old was you then?

– As far as you know in kickboxing, you are the winner of the Russian Cup, the finalist of the championship of the Russian Federation, a participant in European championships. Why did you decide not to continue their journey in this sport?

– I ate a little to them, so I went to Thai boxing. A small emergency happened to me on the street, and I was injured. While recovering, he met a Thai boxing coach who invite me to him. He began to walk and even performed professionals in Omsk, and in Tyumen in 2015 at Raja Fight.

– It is true that fateful, in terms of choice in favor of mixed martial arts, has been acquainted with the current champion for you UFC Peter Yan?

– No, we began to communicate with him since 2010. In 2013, Peter began his journey, and in 2015 he took me with him to training in Grappling. This was not particularly impressed, and then there was already the first UFC game on Sony PlayStation, where I saw a “triangle”.That's what I saw in the game, then there I showed the guys. The coach began to ask, and Petruha told him that I learned this technique by the game. He, of course, was very surprised. Peter further continued to seriously perform in MMA, and all the time suggested that I try my hand in mixed martial arts. I went to the hall to George Emelyanov in the Ermak club. There I was offered to speak at a good tournament in memory of Vladimir Zborovsky in Pankration The Golden Hell Cup. At this competition, I took place with early victories, and in the final I won, one might say, the first issue of Omsk. For the first time in my life I won the belt. Subsequently, he participated at the Russian Championship DOSAAF in hand-to-hand combat, where he made two early ladies, and in the final the guy starred due to an injury. Then, at the Russian Championship in Pankramion in Omsk, seemingly in 2018, he won three battle ahead of schedule and won the tournament. By that time, Petya had already been signed in the UFC, and he took me to prepare for a debut battle, as a sparring partner. We went to Tiger Muay Thai for fees, where I stood in sparring with professionals and realized that I did not lose anything to them. After the battle in the UFC, Petya began to look for me a duel in mixed martial arts, since I went through such fees. In the Urals there is an RCC Intro organization, where I debuted.

– Why did you lose your second fight in MMA professionals?

– I was unexpectedly offered to fight, and I agreed, but it happened as it happened. Then I realized that all this is serious and you need to prepare for every battle, and not make hasty decisions. Then I was offered a contract at the Archangel Michael club, although they noticed me after the first battle. This also played a role, because I did not want to refuse people.

– Jan very soon has to defend her title in the lightweight weight in battle against Aldjamain Sterling. Do you think this fight lasts the whole distance and what are the chances of athletes to win?

– Peter’s opponent is strong and the first number is not easy. Of course, Sterling says a lot, but they love it all. If Petya approaches a duel without injuries and in perfect order, then I think that in the third round it will complete everything early victory.

– Are you preparing to secure a friend in this responsible match?

– No, I have not yet made a visa, because the pandemic and everything else began. Now the processes with documents are difficult, so we will wait until everything will calm down a little. I think that they will approve of me, since I am a large father and a tourist visa can be made. Now Petya is taking place in Miami at the ATT club, and Denis Lavrentiev helps him. They left there in early January, and my coach Kairat Nurmagamabtov and I went to Almaty.

– What, by the way, was your trip to Kazakhstan?

– In general, initially I liked how Alexander Sarnavsky conducted a fight against Abdul-Aziz, although he did not finalize a little in Klint, missing this moment.His defense impressed me very much, and I knew that he was preparing with Artem Reznikov and George Kichigin. We wrote off on Instagram with Reznikov and expressed a desire to come to the fees. He said: No problem! Upon arrival, we were met by Darkhan Bakenov Director of Arlan MMA Pro Team, who showed us the hall and the Almaty fighting Academy, where I went to Jiu-Jitsu and Grappling.

– You managed to tighten the struggle during this time?

-Oh sure. Reznikov and Kichigin helped me a lot, so I took something for myself. In general, I liked everything, and in the future I would like to get somewhere in the mountains – to AIBA, when the guys will have full fees there. I think closer to summer I will go to Almaty again. As far as I know, approximately at this time Artem will prepare, and he has a very strong struggle.

– Do you consider Kazakhstan to be your homeland?

– I got into Almaty, walked in the mountains and felt that I had come not in any way, but where necessary. It is felt that we are from here.

– You have already touched on the theme of the family a little. Tell us what you have at such a relatively young age to have three children?

– I have two daughters and a son. The son was born on August 6, 2018, and on September 1, I began my career in the pros. I have responsibility, but I don’t need additional motivation and a push, because I know that I need to go to the hall and work to give my family a good life. I would like to show my son that sport in life must be present, because – this is character, discipline, friends. My daughters are professionally engaged in dancing – Shaffle discipline. I visited them at the concert and plunged into this atmosphere, recalling the emotions that I once experienced watching the film “The Voice of the Streets”.

– Do you also try to send your son in the future in the future?

– The son in any case will be an athlete, because – this is discipline, character, the formation of the right circle of communication and friends, on whom a lot depends. In what sport he will go, I do not know yet, and I will not force much, I will only show all the disciplines. As it gets stronger, goes, swims or dance with the sisters, because motor skills and movement are developing in the dancing. Now I am learning to play chess, and I like this game, so I will also give it to chess.

– February 23 you have a fight against Boris Medvedev in RCC Intro. How did your preparation for this fight go?

– I began the first stage of preparation in Omsk with an OFP, the second in Almaty, and the third – in my club, where I go out onto a peak form. I have the weight with the weight, the physical condition is also good, therefore, I think that on February 23 we will arrange a good cabin.

– Experts in the field of MMA believe that a serious challenge awaits you in the upcoming match. What do you think about this fight?

– To be honest, before each of my performance they write that the battle will be a test for me, and then they change their minds. I treat this neutrally and I think that there will be another challenge that I have to go calmly and easily.There is no underestimation, because I am seriously related to each of my opponents. Once they say that for me this is another challenge, I accept this and will prove that I myself am a challenge. From battle to battle, I am gaining experience, given that I had little amateur career in this discipline. In Almaty, I worked with Azamat Bakytov, who was inflicting the first defeat in my career, so everything is fine. I have heard that the opponent is preparing a struggle, but let's see.

– To the level UFC In the future you plan to go out and do you have such a goal at all?

– I believe that if you do not have such a goal, then you have nothing to do in MMA. In every sport, you need to set a high goal and go to it. I have the goal of getting to the UFC, besides, my friend is the champion of this organization. I think that I have great chances to be there, so every day I work hard on my weaknesses and strengths.

A photo: Instagram account Ilyas Hamzin

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