Major shock on the poster of Ares 7. On the occasion of its seventh meeting, the young French league offers itself a first-rate plateau with a Franco-French shock as a grand finale.
Headliners of the main card, Abdoul Abdouraguimov and Karl Amoussou will compete for the Ares belt of welterweight (middleweight), where the first city puts his title in play. The second arrives with a strong ambition.
“
I am the highest ranked Frenchman of all time in welterweight and I have nothing more to prove, except that I am still number 1
”, confides the interested party from his home in Switzerland.
Turned professional in 2006, "Psycho" has long dominated the French scene in the welterweight category, where his opponent on Saturday (to be followed live on La Chaine L'Equipe) took control thanks to his victory by submission at Ares 3 in late February, where he clinched one of the organization's first two belts.
“
I was the French number 1 for longer than he had a career,
stings Amoussou.
We're going to set the record straight.
I will take the place that is rightfully mine.
»
Read alsoMMA: Lapilus first Ares champion in bantamweight
Abdouraguimov advantage in sparring
Arrived in Paris on Tuesday to finish his preparation, Amoussou seemed sure of his strength a week before the fight.
“
It happens at the right time,
assures the Dragon Ball Z fan, as evidenced by his underpants worn during the weighing.
We will be able to put in place all the work that has been done during these three months of preparation.
An intense preparation that followed the announcement of the
main event
this Saturday during Ares 4, at the end of March.
Since then, the Frenchman with 20 wins before the limit (27 wins-9 losses) has worked to identify the keys to the fight against a formidable opponent, with an almost immaculate record (14 wins-1 loss).
An opponent whose qualities he knows perfectly, having already faced him in the past.
"
We know where to go to beat him,
promises Amoussou.
The keys are identified, I just have to get them out.
»
Especially since the memory of “sparring” with Abdouraguimov, a soil specialist, brings back bad memories.
“
Abdoul dominated me, he is strong,
agrees Amoussou in a face-to-face orchestrated by the specialized media
La Sueur.
It gives rise to questions… Why accept a fight when we have been dominated?
Are we crazy?
Do we like risk?
Abdouraguimov's response: "
I don't calculate that too much, for me it's still training."
A training dating from two years ago, on the side of the Bulgarian Top Team, training structure of Amoussou.
For his part, Abdouraguimov, ten years younger than him (26), made his mark at the MMA Factory, the playground of Ciryl Gane and Fernand Lopez, the successful trainer behind the Ares Fighting Championship. .
What to give another advantage, popular this time, to the defending champion?
"
I think it will be 50/50
," says Amoussou, hardly concerned about public support.
It's very pleasant to fight in France when you fight a foreigner and you have the public with you.
It's less pleasant when you fight another Frenchman who has a good fan base.
But I'm always happy to fight here in front of friends and family.
But what matters to me is my opponent, it is above all what stimulates me.
It's not like in football matches and the pressure of the home team.
I'm ready for a guy, I can face him in Alaska, it will be the same.
»
A place at UFC Paris?
Because the native of Draguignan does not really have time to lose after being away from the octagon for three years (between 2018 and 2021), the fault of two ruptures of the Achilles tendon.
Serious injuries that have slowed his rise and prevented him so far from claiming to join the UFC.
Nothing that could not pollute his preparation: “
it is not the objective at the moment T,
he assures
.
The ambition will always be there, it's the only thing missing in my career.
I should have been there a long time ago, it didn't happen.
If it should come, it will come.
Otherwise, it won't be the end of the world.
I will remain very proud of the career I had.”
However, rumors suggest for the winner a place at the much anticipated UFC Paris (September 3), for which the places were snapped up in 10 minutes on Friday morning.
“
I don't see any further than this fight, it would be a mistake
, warns Amoussou.
I have an opponent to get out of the way first.
It would be an added pressure to think about the UFC.
“It will first go through a belt to Ares, the”
little UFC
“.
