https://youtube.com/watch?v=eoPbHhBsaQw
After earning a UFC contract with an impressive 3rd round knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series, Lightweight Nazim …
it’s crazy just like how small the island is how many guys we’ve gotten in so far there’s something in the water Long Island yeah something that just breeds tough like that my name is nazim sadikov I’m a lightweight I’m from Brooklyn New York the tennis series is an opportunity of a lifetime an opportunity for you to display if you are exciting enough of a prospect to be in the UFC nervous a little bit a little bit just a little oh this guy’s the best you’re gonna do it big night tonight come on my father is like an old school guy from Baku Azerbaijan anytime I’m traveling or anytime I’m going to a big event big Journey he takes a cup of water and spills it after me as I walk out of the room it’s an azerbaijani tradition and it says that your way should be smooth at the water [Music] I’ve lost and sacrificed a lot to get to where I am today I’m just ready to be there in the moment I’m going to Cease the opportunity standby foreign you’re a night buddy and I walk through those doors with only one thing on my mind and that’s to win nazim black wolf sadakov fighting out of Brooklyn from azerbaij apers American Azerbaijan UFC fighter I assume my father his friend my family friend his wife is there Al Jermaine Sterling was in the building I just felt very at home the great Sarah Longo team they’re looking to break that curve so this will be the third fight from that gym the importance of the fight of Dana White sitting cage side Sean Shelby Hunter Campbell all these big people watching what the next part of your life is going to be like there was no I wanted to be more than there my opponent is Ahmad Hassan Zada tough dude but nothing I haven’t seen before and how about the reach Advantage for Hassan Zada my goodness six inches is a plus 160 dog satikov minus 190. the first round begins I come out ready to go ready ready he ended up throwing a kick I remember catching it overhand into a spinning back kick oh that body kit got him he shoots a takedown he’s in survival mode he’s breathing very heavy power of sadikov really stands out I know it’s an opportunity to put the fight away I go into my classic nazim ground in pound I start raining down elbows raining down punches Relentless is the blood is gushing he’s hurt I finally passed I’m in half guard I make my way into Mount and I’m thinking this is gonna be smooth sailing this is going to be a great night but he’s giving me his back he’s turning I’m about to get another hook in and I make a mistake he ends up turning me over what a reversal I’m on my back he’s on top and I’m thinking God damn how did this happen I am so pissed on myself for allowing that mistake to happen because he’s pressing Me Against the Cage you can see the way he fought with with heart he came to fight for something but but he’s standing across a man that also has heart and also is fighting for a big reason that’s what you get when you have two stubborn guys that represent their Nations and want to make them proud and want to win just attended around right after the bell ring he throws an elbow I pointed him and I think to myself okay I got you now we’re gonna play like that no doubt I got you now I go back to my corner how do you feel good perfect I hear what Steamroller and Ray longer are saying to me but I’m having also my own thought I’m gonna put this dude away I’m gonna put this dude away I’ll keep repeating that to myself I know it was a dominant round by me in round one and I expect them to come out guns blazing in round two show them what you got now foreign [Music] but there’s not an area in this fight that I’m not ready for um very impressive I get up off the ground at the end of round two I run back to my stool I actually don’t even see him laying on his back listen Naz I want you to look I want you to beat the crap out and hold your range but let your go all right all he’s looking to do now is wrestle let’s finish this fight now and when Ray Longo says to finish the fight you finish the fight so third round it was just magic [Music] spinning I was looking for something big I I wanted to put the fight away sadikov clearly listening to Ray Longo the phrase win finish contract the same thoughts circulating he is really coming out here to put on a display in this particular fight for Dana White finding in front of being away you’re fighting on the biggest platform in the world with a lot of people watching I visualized a finish slip his jab uppercut to the chest [Music] to the hand and that’s all she wrote [Music] walk straight over there to those guys and tell them sign me up [Music] all right [Music] it almost felt unreal it was like living through a dream I know that I showed my Hunger I showed that I want to be here you sacrificed so much leading up to that point for you to get your hand raised at the biggest stage is absolutely incredible I did work for it my entire life my my life has been dedicated to martial arts for the winner nothing [Music] Ness they said I will be in the UFC with that flight from Azerbaijan and he’s living up to that promise the black wolf nazim sadikov breaks the Sarah Longo season six curse here on Dana White’s contenders series potentially [Music] walking out of the Octagon it was a surreal moment words can’t really describe what you feel algeman my boy my teammate he gives me a hug everything is just at one thousand miles an hour then you come up and you’re doing an interview in front of the world with Laura senko well congratulations Azerbaijan stand up that is now seven wins in a row trying to answer the questions as precisely as I can and trying to share a moment with my pop at the same time kind of catching myself talking to him while he’s on the big screen through the microphone I just want to say to my father thank you for everything he has not missed a fight since the amateurs I began competing when I was six years old in karate tournament he has not missed that one day Papa yes I love you Dad thank you for everything it’s like it’s like nobody was there you know it’s like it was just it was just me and my pop just sharing this moment even though I’m I’m doing an interview we’re looking at the winners room right now as they wait to find out if they get the contracts Dana is with Laura sanco thank you so much guys well Dana another night of fights that definitely delivered and some underdogs coming through tonight what were your thoughts yeah yeah you never know what with this sport man anybody can win on any given night let’s start with the first fight nazim this guy is uh an absolute wrecking ball man I’m in seven and one now uh he fought an unbelievably durable kid who had a ton of heart you can’t when when the oddsmakers make the odds you can’t measure heart that kid had heart he wanted to be here I mean the just just recovering from the body shot nazim did not let up on him the whole fight he stayed in his face absolutely destroyed this kid and uh yeah he’s in one thing is certain but hearing those very words you’re in that blew my mind yeah shaking Dana White’s hand and giving me a compliment it was just a moment where it’s like hey boss and on his end it’s like welcome this contract is an opportunity for me to express myself as a individual and as a martial artist on a world stage I get the opportunity to put on exciting fights for the fans to remember for years to come nice checking out I train in Long Island New York out of Longwood MMA my main coaches are Ray Longo Matt Sarah Eric higher and Brandon I wanted to make changes in my life in in my career at one point and I looked and knew about several gyms but I don’t think there was a better fit for me it takes me at times an hour and a half to get to the gym just stuck in traffic it’s a world-class gym so that distance that drive it’s all worth it [Applause] hey guys let’s hear for Nas you know we gotta you got a big win over the weekend Contender series and you know Dana signed them that night and now he’s going to be the next UFC fighter up on that wall baby let’s hear it [Applause] let’s go in in Lima may we have a wall with current and former Champions Legends current UFC fighters former UFC fighters and I’m going up on that wall it’s actually pretty crazy to be sharing the wall with people that have built the sport it’s just a real feeling that’s like its own contract when I stepped into the gym after a few months in my first win or two with Sarah Longo I remember Ray tell me you’re going up on that wall so to have that come into fruition now it’s also an undescribable feeling a week you go to Azure bazan on your Victory Tour yeah then we get back to work yes yes training with nas for about like four years he’s a great teammate he spars everyone who you know needs it and he helps everyone in the gym and that’s what this whole team’s about iron sharpens iron never a doubt bro yo my boy crazy [Music] we’re here in Mangal House in South Brooklyn it’s a restaurant with azerbaijani cuisine you watched your life all right as soon as you knock them out everyone went crazy yeah that’s what I want to hear yeah my father’s a big presence in my life my dad has always been there that’s my number one fan my father put me into martial arts with a simple purpose of just a discipline confidence being able to protect myself from school and it turned into something much more as the years went by I am the man I am today thanks to him I’m very proud of you Atomic very proud thank you bro I actually had like four cornermen that night just because it was quiet enough for me to hear aljo in the stands Ray Matt in the corner and I hear like you so I I heard everybody that I needed to hear and I heard them at the right time too when I was in his guard smashing outages of posture up get your neck up boom being an immigrant family in the United States you always sacrifice yeah you know my family left everything that they had they did it for the opportunity to make something of ourselves you have to show me where you you grew up I will show you every corner where I biking where I’m fighting I will show The Hope and The Old City Old City the beautiful I’m making the trip to Azerbaijan to reunite to share one of the most important moments in my life with my homeland this is uh this is something that not just myself but I know my country is waiting for an explosion of our athletes that dream finally coming to fruition it’s a it’s a must for me to go to the Homeland and share the moment I said I was always gonna I was always gonna do [Applause] [Music] thank you come off the plane it’s like a 16 to 18 hour Journey there’s cameras and people and relatives and and kids and War veterans taking photos videos and it was like it was like is this really happening right now like did I just touch down in Baku after not being there my whole life and I I come in there as somebody who has this much attention this much cameras in his face the way this exploded the amount of support I’ve got just from that one night alone just from the high highlight of of me getting a knockout was absolutely humongous [Music] coming out of the airport there was a celebration traditional drums and traditional dance I am a terrible dancer my dad just jumps in and grabs me and he’s like let’s go ah let’s do it let’s go [Music] thank you my entire family is from Azerbaijan my history with my homeland dates back to hundreds of years ago my homecoming now I’m in my real home foreign [Music] I just feel like I’m home it’s just like coming back to the root to the source of where you came from [Applause] Sabbath is ready bro it’s waiting for you I’m hungry now and why we aren’t used the food in Azerbaijan you see the difference in products right away lamb Chicken Kebabs like something you’ll never taste anywhere else and now it’s time to have a good meal [Music] it’s a very rich kitchen it’s a big variety products are different they taste much more pure I felt different my body even took different shape when I was there it’s amazing this is what the country brings Warriors walking through bakud my dad he was showing me old Baku which is where he spent a big portion of his childhood and and his youth you’ve shown me a lot of places my grandfather from we’re used to play as a kid where he used to hang out with friends it was like walking through a museum to be honest something special especially on buckle is it all traditional headpieces a variety of traditional pieces yeah this is the oldest this is this is cheap skin representing Azerbaijan in the UFC is a huge deal there’s not a lot of us I want people to know how beautiful Azerbaijan is and I want people to understand our culture and that we come from respect honor dignity that’s why I try to be the example that that I would want for people to see when thinking about Azerbaijan I’m gonna retire and move here when he retired he comes here as a world champion I’m gonna come back here and live here I promise it’s a huge honor to represent my homeland [Music] the other gym that I train at is Sarah Brazilian Jiu Jitsu you get to see the blueprint of what it takes to be at the highest level yo my guys this is my first four foot contract with the UFC I just want to share this moment with you guys and uh show my gratitude I’m so grateful to have you guys as a team because I couldn’t have done this without you guys I just want to say thank you so much guys I got you guys I want to be here my yeah I’m sharing this moment with my team it always makes it sweeter sign up baby teamwork make the dream work that’s it signing the bad agreement to my UFC debut locks me and it puts everything that’s happened so far behind and nothing else matters now except that UFC debut in Goldman February 18th [Music] that is my beginning steps that is another opportunity for me to display who I am as a person and as a fighter on an even bigger stage you don’t want the black wolf on top of you oh getting into the UFC it’s a huge milestone but it’s not the end of the journey my goal is to be UFC champion and to be the greatest of all time I’m stoked to make my debut every next fight that you fight is the most important fight of your life it’s not only just a dream come true but I take pride in having an exciting style I take pride in having good performances and February 18th is just more display more people to be able to Captivate with another masterful performance you know I’m gonna say if it ain’t broke don’t fix it we’re going to go with the same same thing obviously we’ll look at the opponent we’ll make some adjustments to that but he knows what to do nice he’s got some very intricate striking he’s a very cerebral fight a very technical my opponent is Evan Elder he’s seven and one we actually have the same record I’m anticipating a better stronger faster version of him uh come February 18th which is what I want however with that being said no matter which version of an elder shows up he will always be a step behind the same sadikov and on February 18th you will see my hand raised three decades three Champs that’s what they say I hope to prove that no matter where you come from no matter what sacrifices yourself or your family has made you can achieve your dreams I was born ready to fight in the UFC I’ve I’ve been dreaming of this I want this this is exactly where I want to be [Music]