UFC Veteran Razak Al-Hassan Q and A
UFC veteran Razak Al-Hassan (9-2-0) went 0-2 in the UFC, yet is a perfect 9-0 for other promotions with 2 knockouts and 6 submissions. The 28 year old, fighting out of Des Moines, Iowa, is slated to fight for Victory Fighting Championships at VFC 32 against Demetrius Richards (5-3-0 3KO) on July 30th in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
So close to fight time, Al-Hassan was nice enough to spend a few minutes with us for a little Question and Answer session.
MMA Valor: Most casual fight fans remember seeing you at UFC: Fight for the Troops in December of 2008 when you refused to tap out against Steve Cantwell and suffered a bad injury due to an armbar. Although it was a year and a half ago, how is the arm?
Al-Hassan: My arm is 100% now. After the injury I went to physical therapy for a couple of months to get my range of motion back. Even after my therapy was complete, I still had some residual pain in my elbow for several months. I wasn’t sure if I was going to have chronic pain but I’m happy to report that everything is fully functional and I am now pain free.
MMA Valor: You were undefeated before your time in the UFC and are 2-0 since your release. What was the conversation like upon your release and did they give you any indication that they would be willing to sign you again in the future?
Al-Hassan: The UFC didn’t talk to me personally, they spoke to my management and then my management informed me of my release. I wasn’t surprised about getting cut. Going 0-2 normally means pink slip time in the UFC but from what I was told, they thought I had potential but needed to go back to the smaller circuit and work my way back up again. There are a lot of guys in the UFC who are in their second, even third run with the promotion so I was confident that if I put together a strong win streak I could get myself back on their radar again.
MMA Valor: Tell us about your upcoming fight with Demetrius Richards in Iowa on July 30th for Victory Fighting Championships.
Al-Hassan: I’m fighting for the first time in VFC against hometown guy Demetrius Richards. Demetrius has a pretty decent record. I don’t know him personally. He is just an obstacle in the way of where I want to go. I’m improving as a mixed martial artist with every bout, even my losses, and I don’t know if he can make the same claim. So I’m looking to go out doing what I need to do to get closer to my goal of getting back into the promise land [the UFC] again.
MMA Valor: What is the biggest difference, for you, between fighting in the UFC versus fighting for various other promotions throughout the country?
Al-Hassan: The UFC is the crème de la crème of mma promotions. No organization, no matter how well they are run, can compare to that. The UFC really took care of me when I was with them so I miss that feeling of belonging and having a firm home. Right now I’m sort of vagabond, roaming from promotion to promotion without really calling one my home.
MMA Valor: Last question, what do you love most about being a professional MMA fighter? What do you hate the most?
Al-Hassan: I love the feeling of being a professional athlete for a living. The freedom it affords you and the opportunity it gives you to be a positive influence and role model to others. Some of the drawbacks are the lack of financial security and the wear and tear on your body from rigorous training. If you do something like this, that you love, for a living, you’ll never work another day in your life. That’s how I feel about my job.
We at MMa Valor wish al-Hassan good luck in his bout this Saturday for Victory Fighting Championship and look forward to big things. Check back here after Saturday for an update on how Al-Hassan did against Demetrius Richards
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