The former Cage Rage heavyweight champion Mustapha Al Turk is set to impress the crowd this Saturday night against Cheick Kongo. Al Turk will debut in the UFC octagon after winning 6 of his last 7 mixed martial arts fights.
The Saudi Arabian fighter will be fighting outside of the United Kingdom for the very first time in his MMA career. This battle will be the classic wrestler vs. stand-up fighter and Al Turk plans to take control from the very start.
Kongo is very well-known for his takedown defense and his powerful striking abilities, but Al Turk is confident in his gameplan coming into this fight. Here’s a recent snip from Al Turk himself as he talked with mmaweekly:
"This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for. Trying to climb the steps and trying to get as many fights as I could and just training really, really hard and being dedicated, making all the sacrifices. It’s a great opportunity for me to shine really…This is where every aspiring mixed martial artist wants to get to is to fight in the UFC. It’s the best show, mixed martial arts show on Earth…you want to be in the cage doing your thing. I’m a professional. I’ve travedled the world. I’ve been to different countries. I’ve fought abroad before, but mainly in submission wrestling…I haven’t done any MMA abroad. It will be the same thing. You have to have a professional attitude. I don’t think it will hinder me whatsoever really…He’s a stand-up fighter known for his stand-up skills, but his ground game is ever improving. He’s done a takedown on every single outing he’s had. He’s gotten better and better on the ground, so I don’t take it lightly…It’s a good match-up, but I’m not underestimating his wrestling ability. He trains with a very good camp. He’s come leaps and bounds, and I’m expecting him to probably try and take me down. Really, I’m expecting the unexpected in this fight…Obviously, I do acknowledge that his ground game probably isn’t as good as some people’s. I’m just going to go with the flow and see where the energy leads me…Whatever happens, I want to put 100 percent in. Whatever happens, I’m going to put my heart and soul into it…I’m just thinking about winning…I’m not doing it for the money or the fame…I’m just looking at the final result, which is a win."
