Wanna be a pro MMA fighter in Dubai? Here’s how ...

Are you the kind of person who likes to think out of the box? Do you plan to take up some unconventional career or a hobby? If you live and breathe for sports then we got you covered. Dubai-based professional MMA (mixes martial art) fighter, international karate champion, advanced personal trainer and nutritionist, Rafat Shawe (originally from Iraq) sits down with City Times to give tips to our readers who want to take up MMA fighting as a professional sport or a hobby. Shawe has been based in the UAE for the last 15 years, and professional MMA fighter.
When did you decide to be an MMA fighter?
I have always wanted to be an MMA fighter since it began in the '90s, but it wasn't possible earlier as MMA only came to the region much later. It was launched in 2010 in Abu Dhabi. MMA is the closest thing you can get to a real fight. There are very few rules and it requires a lot of discipline. You have to be trained in different types of martial arts including boxing, kickboxing, wrestling and ju-jitsu.
How many years did it take you to master the art and what kind of training did you undergo?
It's hard to be exact answer on how many years of training it took me. We didn't get straight into MMA, me and other professional fighters have spent most of our lives doing one form of martial art or another before getting into MMA. I started doing Karate as a hobby in Iraq when I was 12. I was a big fan of the Jean Claude Van Damme and Bruce Lee movies, and I haven't really looked back since then. I started participating in a local tournaments and realised I was quite good at it, so I started participating in more and more events. I'll be honest, I lost more than I won at the start, but after a while the wins started to happen and I just wanted to fight more and more. In time, I got my black belt from a visiting Japanese Sensei, which felt like getting a PhD. On the basis of my achievements, I was invited to join the Iraq National team and it culminated in me winning a gold medal after I defeated the European champion at the International Karate Championship which took place in Jordan in the '90s. In addition to martial arts training, the level of cardio fitness you require to be a professional fighter is very high. I have run, swim and engage in a lot of cardio training. I do a lot of stairs! Yes, you can often find me in the skyscrapers of Dubai running up and down 60 flights of stairs - it's such good cardio training!
What are the sacrifices you had to make?
Being a professional athlete of any type comes with a lifestyle that consumes and takes over your whole life. If you want to succeed and be the best at what you do, you will have to make sacrifices. Firstly, it takes a lot of time and it's a round-the-clock commitment, so you have make time which you would otherwise spend with family, friends or relaxing. When you are not in the gym, you could be watching fights on TV or YouTube to study past performances and look to how you can improve. You could also watch your future competitors so you can learn their strengths and weaknesses to give you some competitive edge - yes we have a lot of research to do. As a result, this can put a lot of pressure on relationships and so it's important to find people who understand your love for what you do and will support you through the good times and bad times. My wife and I went on our honeymoon and I had a fight the next month, so I was training once or twice a day even in The Maldives. I wasn't always so popular for it, but my wife understands my love for my sport and supports me. Some people will not understand your passion and commitment, so sadly you will lose people along the way in your journey. You also have to make a lot of sacrifices when it comes to your eating habits. You have to follow a very strict diet and that means you can't have your favourite foods. I try and keep Fridays as my cheat days, the rest of the week I'm on a strict diet.
 What were the challenges that you faced in your journey?
MMA is a combat sport and you will get hurt, even if you're at the top of your game. I have suffered a lot of injuries, from broken noses, to cracked ribs and losing teeth. You have to learn to deal with pain and sometimes not looking great in public! Often the week after a fight, I have to walk in public all covered up and wearing a cap and people look at me wondering why I have a black eye and covered in bruises. One of my damaged tooth constantly annoys me, but until I fully retire from fighting, there's just no point in fixing it. One issue we fighters face is funding, we get little support. When I started out, even the National Team got little support. This makes it hard to pursue fighting as a career. It's difficult to balance training commitments with a full time job. I have managed to mix being a personal trainer and nutritionist with my own personal training, but many people give up as they can't juggle work and training. Globally it's getting better, but in the Middle East, it is a challenge.  Finally, losing is hard and very little prepares you for this. You put 150% into your training and you give it everything you have and you believe you will win and when you don't psychologically it can really hits you. Physical training is essential in becoming an MMA fighter, but mental training is also very important - you have to work hard to be in the right frame of mind all the time. Losing is hard, it knocks you for a bit, especially if you've just lost in front of family, friends or associates on TV, but then you have to bounce back and get back into it. Never underestimate the mental side of the sport - many people have struggled with this more than the physical side of the training.
 
 
What kind of diet do you follow daily?
 I follow a strict low carb, high protein diet at all times. I start my day usually with my biggest carb intake. For breakfast I eat oats. Usually a bowl of oats and some eggs.  At lunch, I usually have proteins such as chicken, steak or fish with good carbs like brown rice and sweet potato. For dinner, I rarely have carbs, usually it's chicken or fish with green vegetables or salad. Snacks are important between meals. This can be a handful of nuts, a fruit (banana or apple) or a protein shake. Oh and lots of water and lots of sleep! They are fundamental too! On Fridays, my wife and I go out for lunch or dinner, eat popcorn at the cinema or just live a little more, but Saturdays, I'm back to strict eating and training.
 What is the longevity in this field?
It's true, you can't do this forever and for most people their MMA career will be over by their early 40s at the latest. However, it really depends from person to person and there are some people fighting in UFC (the biggest fighting organisation in the world), such as Randy Couture and Dan Henderson who are in their mid/late 40s. Dan Henderson is in his late 40s and he will be fighting for the belt this October. It does depend on the person though and whilst I myself have just hit 40, I have no plans on giving up just yet. I still have a lot I want to achieve - even if my wife asks me retire every week.  Many fighters stay back in MMA in some way even after they retire, because it really does become a part of you, the training, the community, which is why you will see many of them becoming coaches and trainers or have some role in the organisation. I myself am starting to think beyond fighting.
Scope of being an MMA fighter in the UAE?
Being honest, there are some opportunities, but not like at a level we have globally such as UFC, Bellator or ONNE which is a real shame given the popularity of the sport in the Middle East. We do have some organisations such as Desert Force, which is aired on MBC who I have been fighting with most recently, but we do not have the quality or the backing that you can find in the US, Europe or Asia. I myself am looking at fighting organisations around the world now due to the lack of opportunities here in the region, which is a shame. That said, I feel there is a great opportunity for the future, especially given the popularity, so without saying too much at this time, I'm working on a plan to develop the landscape in the Middle East for professional and aspiring MMA fighters. I have to retire one day and this to me feels like a natural progression and something I am well placed to do. I love my sport and also my home country (Iraq) and the UAE - my home for the past 16 years. I want to see the Middle East have the same professional fighting landscape that we see globally.
arti@khaleejtimes.com