Halfway
So I am at the halfway point now. Doesn’t feel too bad, feels like I have spent a decent amount of time here at Team Quest Thailand and I have felt myself improve, so to add another chunk of time is not bad although I am already making plans on how to return here as soon as possible. 11 weeks is enough time to make improvements without burning out and I think my future plans will be too stay for 15 weeks and train hard and fully immerse myself and then spend 8-12 weeks in Pakistan training at 75% and consolidating the info I picked up and at the same time focus on business matters like running PAKMMA and running the gym. This would be my ideal schedule/rotation for the next couple of years.
Some bad news though. Looks like I won’t be fighting MMA during my trip here. Unfortunately due to Thailand banning MMA competition in the country, the nearest place to fight MMA is in Malaysia. Malaysia has an exploding MMA scene and I would have loved to have gone down there and fight as well as document whats going on with what is an overnight phenomenon. However, I am experiencing a bit of a catch 22, or maybe you could say a double edged sword experience. According to Sherdog I am 1-0 in pro MMA, however I am signed to ONEFC and I have a significant online presence. What this means is that the promoter is finding difficulty in getting me an opponent with a similar record to mine. Fighting a more name opponent is an option but as this particular promotion is a feeder organization for ONEFC, they don’t fly people out nor do they pay anything substantial as a purse. So, I would be paying 5-1000 dollars to go to Malaysia for a fight I wouldn’t be paid more than 50-100 dollars for. It’s an unfortunate situation and it puts me in a peculiar place as I would like to get some more MMA experience before stepping into the ONEFC cage but considering how new the MMA scene is here I can’t afford to be paying substantial amounts of money for a fight.
I may do another Muay Thai fight before I leave as another tool to help increase my skill and experience in preparation for ONEFC.But we will see their are some other MMA fights coming up during that time that I need to make sure I am healthy for. Can’t mention them just yet but I will definitely announce it as things become set in stone.
So I am halfway back to Pakistan and I am looking forward to it because the time here in Thailand has re-energized me and we have some cool stuff going on in Pakistan right now. I am also hoping I stay regular with this blog as I have been here because it really is going to end up being the best way that my fans can find out about me and how I am.
That being said then I will sign off and post this, once you read this check out my other posts and articles on PAKMMA which should be getting a BIG makeover some time early next year.
And to all the admins on the PAKMMA fanpage and those helping to run the organization, time for a public reprimand. We have so much news and history on our site, even if youtube is down in Pakistan you all can still show people what has been going on in the past for PAKMMA and show them where we have come from and the evolution it has taken for us to get here.
People will often come to me with ideas, Bashir you guys should do this, this and this. I say “Great, you like what we’re doing so much, maybe you can help us out” than they dissappear. This sort of thing has made me really jaded with my mission in Pakistan since I created PAKMMA for it to take off by itself. Not so I could be a babysitter for others while making financial and career sacrifices. If poeople have all these great ideas, how come when I make them admins on a facebook page they can’t even update it, how long does it take to update a facebook page? 30 seconds?
“But Bashir, your the leader of PAKMMA!? You could do it!”
A leader is not a leader because he does everything himself as others look on and admire. A leader is someone who inspires other to do as well. So either am I failing in my duties to bring together everyone and work together for a sporting and lifestyle phenomenon to emerge in Pakistan or those who want to see MMA rise up in Pakistan and their futures in the sport a long with it are not yet ready to realize that you get what you put in.