Tag: Abdoul Abdouraguimov

All hail the ‘Lazy King’: Abdoul Abdouraguimov ready to claim throne as next French UFC star

Abdoul Abdouraguimov thinks the American people will like him because he’s a lazy guy who can entertain lazy people.

[autotag]Abdoul Abdouraguimov[/autotag] is ready to take his throne.

Ask him about being a fighter, and his voice will shrug at you. He’s good and he knows it, but it’s really that simple. It’s not overly complicated. His next fight? Of course, he knows he’ll win. He has MMA figured out. Just look at his rate of improvement.

According to Abdouraguimov, he earned his blue belt within two weeks of when he started jiu-jitsu. He picked up MMA at 21. Five years later, he has a 14-1 record and is widely regarded as one of the best welterweights outside the UFC.

It took Abdouraguimov a while to settle down. Born in Dagestan, he moved to Germany, then France, where he’s stayed ever since.

His level of dedication to combat sports was initially so low, despite his skyrocketing success. Even into his professional career, he barely trained. Hard-working amateurs would lap him in the gym, but he’d lap them in the cage. There’s God-given talent, then there’s Abdouraguimov. He is “The Lazy King,” after all.

“It’s a present from God, you know?” Abdouraguimov told MMA Junkie. “In the beginning, I didn’t put much work or dedication. Now I started to put more dedication and more work in. I’m becoming more serious now. In the beginning, I was very amateur.”

“Lazy” often has a negative connotation, but Abdouraguimov has learned to embrace it. He calls himself “lazy, but efficient,” which might explain his in-cage improvisation. He doesn’t waste energy on planning, but still figures it out on the fly.

“My friends gave me this nickname,” Abdouraguimov said. “I have some laziness in my character. My character is lazy. They gave me ‘The Lazy King.’ They always told me, ‘You’re lazy, man.’ Then, one day, it was, ‘Let’s call you ‘The Lazy King.’ That’s it. … I like it because it’s easy to remember. It sounds good. It’s who I am. I’m lazy, but efficient.”

To date, Abdouraguimov has accumulated an impressive resume with 10 submissions and one TKO. He currently is riding a four-fight winning streak, which includes an inverted triangle-choke against UFC alum Godofredo Pepey in February. The transition to get there was simply ridiculous and was topped off by an impromptu celebratory imitation of a sloth – a lazy animal, of course.

“I’m the kind of guy who does improvisation,” Abdouraguimov said. “I don’t plan. I don’t have plans. I do what I think in my mind right then like, ‘Boom,’ and I do it every time I have a good idea.”

When he began MMA at 21, Abdouraguimov didn’t anticipate any sort of monetary earnings would come from it. MMA still was illegal in France and deemed a fringe sport by many. It wasn’t very accessible. He only saw highlights found on YouTube. Things have changed, however.

Now MMA is legal in France and the UFC is set to come there for the fist time in September. Abdouraguimov wants on and there has not been a better time for it to happen. At ARES FC 7 in Paris, Abdouraguimov defends his title against Karl Amoussou (27-9-2). The event takes place Saturday and Abdouraguimov could punch his ticket.

“Right now, you have to win,” Abdouraguimov said. “Everybody is watching. It’s a very popular promotion in France. Even the UFC is maybe going to watch. After that, in September, the UFC will be here in Paris. It’s an important moment for me. I’m trying to stay concentrated and calm like always and do the job. That’s my main concentration. I have to go in and fight like I know and use all my weapons.

“That’s it – and I want to enjoy. In the beginning, when I started, I was inexperienced. I had a lot of stress. I didn’t really enjoy the journey. Now, I started to enjoy everything. It feels very great when you enjoy you work. When you love your work, you never work.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdOZIP1DRL7/

The fight streams on UFC Fight Pass, so Abdouraguimov knows the MMA world will be watching. He needs to win the fans over – especially potential new American fans, whom he eagerly awaits to meet.

“I think the American people will like me,” Abdouraguimov said. “I’m ‘The Lazy King’ and I can put on a lazy show for lazy people. Lazy people are smart people.”

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On the Doorstep: 5 fighters who could make UFC with June wins

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey starts long before they strap on UFC or Bellator gloves.

Every champion in MMA history started out somewhere.

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey begins long before they strap on UFC, Bellator, or PFL gloves. Modern-era fighters progress through the regional ranks with hopes of accomplishing the highest accolades. Many will try, few will succeed.

This month, five fighters on the verge of achieving major promotion notoriety – one for the second time – return to the cage for what could be their stepping stone fight. There are dozens of fighters close to making the jump in the coming weeks, but these five are particularly exemplary.

  • A rising Coloradan will compete for LFA for the sixth time, but the stakes have never been higher.
  • A DWCS winner didn’t earn a contract, but he finally has a willing opponent to face as he awaits a second glance from the UFC.
  • A Dagestan-born resident of France with one of the best nicknames in MMA, a slick ground game and the “it” factor hopes a win over a seasoned veteran earns him a slot on the UFC’s debut card in his home country this September.
  • Injuries and opponent withdrawals have delayed his return, but this Pacific Northwesterner is ready to show UFC matchmakers he’s worth the wait.
  • A Nevada native and former military member moved across the country to train under Joe Lauzon – with UFC aspirations on his mind.

Video: ‘Lazy King’ hits title-winning inverted triangle armbar, hangs upside down to celebrate

Abdoul Abdouraguimov won the ARES welterweight title with an incredible first-round submission against a savvy UFC veteran.

There was nothing lazy about [autotag]Abdoul Abdouraguimov[/autotag]’s performance at Ares Fighting Championship 3.

The “Lazy King” entered the main event of ARES FC 3 with the goal of becoming the promotion’s welterweight champion, but standing in his way was 11-fight UFC veteran Godofredo Pepey, who was making his debut with the promotion. Abdouraguimov (14-1) wasted little time taking care of business, flexing his black belt BJJ skills in a wild scramble that led to a first-round submission finish.

Pepey (14-7), a BJJ black belt himself, started the finishing sequence from his back by going for a triangle choke that he transitioned into an omoplata attempt. Abdouraguimov rolled through and found himself on Pepey’s back, but in an inverted position. Pepey grabbed the fence to try to stabilize himself which prompted the referee to remove his hand as Abdouraguimov continued to adjust his positioning.

Seconds later, the inverted triangle was locked in, but “Lazy King” isolated an arm too, and cranked on the limb while he squeezed the choke with his legs. Naturally, Pepey had no choice but to tap.

Check out video of the finish below (via Twitter):

If the finish wasn’t spectacular enough, Abdouraguimov added another touch of flair to the moment with his celebration. Sticking with the inverted moves, he hopped on the cage, and then hung upside down and posed with his arms crossed. He wasn’t done yet, though, as he followed that up with a back handspring and a quick shadowbox shuffle.

The 26-year-old Russian dazzled the fans in attendance at the Le Dome de Paris in France, making his crowning moment a memorable one. The new ARES welterweight champion made it four straight first-round finishes, all of which came by submission.

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