Engizek with a scary series “MMA saved me from stupid things, now the title should go!” By Michael Bauer October 5th, 2024, 6:17 p.m. The MMA spectacle Oktagon 62 from Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt will be historic. Kerim Engizek from Düsseldorf also wants to make history. He looks back on an eventful childhood and can crown his career with the middleweight title at the stadium event. For Kerim Engizek, mixed martial arts is more than just a sport. For the 33-year-old from Düsseldorf it was a way out. After a difficult childhood, he found perspective and structure in life first through boxing and later through MMA. Now he wants to be a role model for younger generations and is facing the biggest fight in his career. Engizek will fight Patrik Kincl for the middleweight title at Oktagon 62. The historic event with around 60,000 spectators in the Frankfurt stadium will be shown exclusively on RTL+ (with a premium monthly subscription from 8.99 euros). However, the backdrop is not a big problem for him. “I’m not driving myself crazy. Last time there were 20,000 in Cologne, now there are 60,000 viewers,” says Engizek in an interview with ntv/RTL. He partially ignores it. On the other hand, he would enjoy entering an arena and the euphoria of the audience. “You’ve got to love this. Simple. And I’m fine with it. All that pressure. But once the fight starts, the tunnel vision starts.” “The last one was also the bitterest defeat.” For the Turkish fighter, Kincl will be the “strongest opponent of his career.” He describes the Czech, who is listed by Oktagon as the organization’s best fighter across all weight classes, as an all-rounder. “He is very experienced and has already fought fights over five rounds. I’ve never done so. He may have an advantage there, but that won’t be of any use to him in the end.” The Düsseldorfer shouldn’t lack self-confidence either. He has been undefeated in 14 professional fights, a streak that has now lasted more than ten years. He also won 17 of his 20 victories early. A scary series. Can he remember his last defeat against Rafal Lewon? “Of course,” says Engizek. “The last one was also the bitterest defeat. It was a good thing that it happened back then,” he explains. Otherwise many things would not have changed. He learned from it. His opponent wrestled with him for three rounds and took advantage of Engizek’s weakness at the time. “I just thought I’d knock everyone out. That was naive of me, after all it’s called mixed martial arts. Of course the wrestler took advantage of his strengths and kept me on the ground for three rounds. From then on I said to myself: Now I’m going to go to it regularly Struggle and work on my weaknesses.”The 33-year-old has experienced firsthand that sport has enormous potential to positively influence the character of young people. After growing up with his brother in a children’s home and being part of a youth gang, he found his way into an orderly life through martial arts. “MMA ultimately saved me from a lot of stupid things,” says Engizek looking back. “That’s why my goal is to be a good role model, especially for the next generation and young people. I didn’t have an easy past. And if I had had someone as a mentor, I would have been grateful. Now I want to be a good role model. Show the young people that there is a way off the streets and you can lead a disciplined, decent life.”Role model in Germany and TurkeyThe fighter from the Düsseldorf UFD Gym has built up a large fan base in Germany and Turkey in recent years. “The positive feedback and recognition has been huge,” he says. Even if the sport in Turkey is not yet as big and well structured as in Germany, people in Turkey would also notice when an Engizek fight is coming up. “There are smaller events there, but Germany is a little ahead of the game. Now the good fighters are just starting to develop in Turkey, but I’m sure we’ll soon see a lot of people from Turkey who can do something.” But he also sees potential in Germany for the sport to reach a new level. The streaming deal between Oktagon and RTL is the next step. “MMA has already arrived in Germany, but like classic boxing, it should be allowed to be broadcast on television at 8 p.m. It is a tough sport, but also the most complex in the world. Many people often forget that it is not just brutality and… There’s a lot more to it than that. You have to know all the martial arts, you have to do wrestling, kickboxing, boxing. But we’re already on a very, very good path.”It’s just the portrayal of the protagonists that bothers him. That is often too superficial. “From the outside, it’s always portrayed like this: They’re just antisocial people and thugs. But that’s not the case,” says Engizek. “They’re very sensible, decent guys. I train in the UFD with chemical technicians and law students – it’s all there.” Of course there are also people who have a past but have made something positive out of it. That’s the most important thing that you can show, okay, there is another way. There’s not just one way.” And Engizek’s path to the top of the octagon should be a dazzling example – for that he only has to do one thing: continue his scary streak in the cage.
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Kerim Engizek with a scary series before Oktagon 62: “MMA saved me from stupid things, now I’m fighting for the title”
