Q & A Session with Bashir Ahmad
On December 4, 2014, Founder of PAK MMA Mr. Bashir Ahmad did Questions & Answers session with general public on his official facebook page. Here are those questions and answers.
If you get fighter who is a good boxer and not a mixed martial artist, will you train him and guide him towards the steps like you did with Waqar?
Yes I can.
Are you obsessed about having six packs?
Absolutely not. It’s a nice side effect from training and diet but the people around me who really know me know that I am about function and not form.
Are Gluten containing food really bad enough to be avoided?
If you have an allergy or are sensitive. Try it for two weeks and see how you feel. Depends on the person.
Can you please suggest something for weight gain?
Eat more lift heavy.
Are you nervous before a fight? How do you control it?
I do get nervous. Absolutely. But you learn to use the adrenaline. The way mike Tyson’s trainer described it was as a fire. You can use it as a tool or you can let it get out of control and burn your house down.
What’s your Favorite memory of Singapore?
It had to be a mix of being there with my Pakistani friends in the hotel room thinking about how legendary this moment was and during the fight when I looked up at my bloody face and heard the crowd roar.
What do you do on your off-days?
Spend time with family. Eat a lot. I love to travel.
Who is your role model?
I have many. But generally any person who risked personal harm to stand by their principals is a role model to me.
How many years one have to train to be a professional in MMA?
It depends on the person. Some 2-3, and for others 10.
If one’s wanna fight in ONE-FC, how many fights he gotta win at national level?
It’s not about how many but the quality of the opponent and how you performed.
Why do you fight in the ring? For what purpose? How do you feel about it from a Muslim perspective? I know that a lot of scholars have ruled ring fighting (but not wrestling) as haram (because your hitting another human being in the face)
Amazing question. I fight for a number of reasons. The number one reason is to learn and test myself. I get to see where I stand as a martial artist and I get to put myself in situations where I need to push myself. I feel it makes me a better person and honestly it’s a spiritual experience for me. Training for a fight is like preparing for war, you understand you may die and you must make peace with that reality.
Would we ever get to see Baz vs Ahmed?
Me and Baz are friends and don’t want to fight each other but you never know what other promoters want. I dunno.
Finally, what’s your actual weight in the fight? And in general, how would a fighter pick a weight class to compete in?
In the fight I weigh about 72-75 kg. I would suggest a 10% drop in body weight. But everyone is different.
What’s your strength and conditioning routine like?
It varies depending on if I have a fight or not. But it’s actually quite basic. Cardio and resistance training. I train based on energy system. But in order to get a proper understanding you’d need to spend an hour or two with me in a seminar or 1 on 1.
Why did you choose MMA fighting? Why not WWE?
Because MMA is a combat sport linked to martial arts. WWE though requiring a lot of athletic talent and skill falls into another category.
The ONEFC WWE champion, his style given his wrestling background gives him a superior edge in nearly all his fights. I’ve been led to believe recently that if you’re a better wrestler you always tend to have the upper hand in MMA, even if your striking and grappling isn’t that good. What do you think about this?
There is a lot of truth to that because the wrestler chooses where the fight goes.
Bashir bhai wazan kam kase karen jabke khana bhi na chora jaye (How to lose weight when you can’t eat less)?
Too broad a question. Eat healthy and exercise. Check out zone diet, paleo and dolce diet.
Who is your favorite in UFC?
Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo and anyone from Team Alpha Male. Oh and I love the technique Demetrius Johnson shows.
What do you feel are biggest obstacles in the development and promotion of MMA in Pakistan?
Without trying to be mean or funny it’s “paindu ness” I have no other way to simply answer that question without writing a few thousand words.
When will Pakistani fighters choose their weight class wisely? Two of our best prospects are sitting on records of 3-2 and 2-3 because of this. Is anything being done to encourage and help these athletes to start practicing weight cutting and not looking 2 weight classes smaller than their opponents in the cage.
I think this is a serious issue and will be realized now as you have. I have warned many that they need to learn to cut weight properly from years back and I think the reality from international fights has educated our guys. Give it another year or two.
Will you always be exclusively based in Asia or will you ever compete in any European organizations is KSW or BAMMA?
I honestly feel that ONEFC will remain my home until I retire. The fans are amazing, the staff is amazing and it’s an exciting promotion that has done a lot to help my career
Also how long does it take you to get back in “shape” before a fight? I understand that you train regularly but there’s that specific time period you put in more effort to perform better I think.
6-12 weeks
What style of martial do you master in and what do you think is the future of PAKMMA?
I would say I have no base style but I have had most my competition experience in Muay Thai. Future of MMA depends on all of you.
If you were to compete in a match against Brock Lesnar then what would be in your mind?
He would put me in the hospital.
Do you ever see yourself competing in the UFC? Do you think the competition, the money and the publicity there is better?
That day MIGHT come. But the competition in ONEFC is still a high level and appropriate for me and the top guys in ONEFC are on par with the UFC. I personally think the publicity I get in ONEFC is better than what the UFC would offer me. I am blessed and lucky to be in such an organization so soon into my career.
Can I get a hug off you when I see you in February?
Yes you can. Hugs will be freely available to all
When r u coming to Dubai? And where do you live now?
I drop by Dubai a few times per year. Currently in the USA and Pakistan. Back and forth.
What is more important? Speed or power? Power comes naturally but can it be mastered? Can A person do a job and be train to fight at the same time? Or is it like a full time thing?
Speed and power are actually closely linked. Power can be mastered. Yes you can do a job and MMA at the same time.
How to overcome fear?
You let the fear become a tool. Use it for your benefit.