UWC 7 Preview: Iman Achhal vs. Sumie Sakai
by Luke Thomas on Sep 23, 2009 5:00 PM EDT
in MMA News
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When I call Achhal one of the toughest people I've ever met in this video, I'm not kidding. After she fled Morocco to escaped an arranged marriage, she had to endure this in America:
She left her family, her religion and her country to pursue a life that better suited her "independence," Anas said.
"My family is my coaches and my trainers," said Iman, who spent most of the 10 years after she left her father's home working as a day laborer, braving frigid early mornings in front of local convenience stores waiting to hop onto the back of a contractor's truck.
She said she spent one winter homeless, finding shelter in a tent at Bull Run Regional Park in Manassas.
"So you're not allowed to live in a park, so I had to basically just pretend like I was camping," Achhal said. "The only bad thing in that picture is that it was snowing and really cold, so a lot of people were looking at me like, 'There is no way you like being in a tent,' but I had to make it look like it was awesome."
In her professional debut, she got her face and nose broken, but gutted through a three-round fight and eventually won a decision. She's got a long climb before she's ever a top-ranked female MMA fighter, but her perseverance in the face of tremendous adversity is something every combat sports fan should admire.
She takes on Sumie Sakai October 3rd at UWC 7: Redemption.
Disclosure: I am the color commentator for the UWC.
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Very cool Luke.
I live in Dallas & was wondering where I could catch this? Also, even though I have been an MMA fan for 15 years & have no idea who some of the lesser known people that are brought up here, I really appreciate how you guys try to give exposure to all of us.
Arguing on the internet is like being in the special olympics, even when you win you are still retarded.
Wow, it’s crazy to see interviews with guys I recognize from the NoVA jiu jitsu scene, Jeremy is a good guy.
The mat is my church, the ground is my heaven, Jiu-Jitsu is my religion. And once you hit the ground you're in my world. My world is like the ocean, I’m like a shark and most people don't even know how to swim - Draculino
I’m trying to figure that out right now actually, seeing if I can get a few friends or some guys from BJJ to be up for it, we’re running a little in house tournament earlier that day I think so it would probly be a good cap to the day. So yeah hopefully I’ll go, I went to the last two haha.
The mat is my church, the ground is my heaven, Jiu-Jitsu is my religion. And once you hit the ground you're in my world. My world is like the ocean, I’m like a shark and most people don't even know how to swim - Draculino
by Patrick Tenney on Sep 24, 2009 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Iman Achhal
In her professional debut, she got her face and nose broken, but gutted through a three-round fight and eventually won a decision.
Not only that, but the fight, which was scheduled to be three three-minute rounds ended up being contested across three five-minute rounds. Imagine training for the former circumstance and – SUPRISE! – you’re going six extra minutes, or an additional two rounds. To be faced with that circumstance and win is impressive. To do so in your professional debut is miraculous.
...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.
"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard
*surprise
...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.
"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard
by Brett Jones on Sep 23, 2009 11:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Luke, any idea around how much it takes to make these Promos?
small promotions don’t do them cause they’re pretty damn expensive right?
They are extremely expensive. Unlike Strikeforce that gets Showtime to produce these types of videos for them, UWC has to pay for them in house. That means flying all of the personnel and equipment out, paying for the shoot, scheduling the fighter appearances, editing the footage and using PR firms locally to distribute them. It costs thousands and thousands of dollars. I post them here by choice, not because the UWC asks me (they never have).
I have no idea if people appreciate them or care. If they don’t, there’s nothing I can do. But anyone in the DC area who calls themselves a MMA fan sure better.
by Luke Thomas on Sep 24, 2009 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Well if you get even a tiny percentage of the huge number people who view this site to watch, then I guess that’d be a huge help for MMA in DC already..
Hardly anyone would care about Filipino MMA but I’d still post about them, cause even the smallest exposure for the local orgs and fighters could maybe help the country’s MMA scene.
Keep doing what your doing for DC MMA. :)
by Anton Tabuena on Sep 24, 2009 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions
D.C. needs all the mma it can get, too many camps around this area and not enough fights haha.
The mat is my church, the ground is my heaven, Jiu-Jitsu is my religion. And once you hit the ground you're in my world. My world is like the ocean, I’m like a shark and most people don't even know how to swim - Draculino
by Patrick Tenney on Sep 24, 2009 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions
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