Introducing Razaak Al-Hassan
When Razaak Al-Hassan was asked to replace injured Tomasz Drwal on short notice against Andre Gusmao at UFC 87 in August, it was the dream
call that all young mixed martial artists hope to one day receive. But when he was injured himself and forced out of the bout, that dream could have quickly turned into a nightmare if not for his positive attitude.
“I was optimistic about coming back,” said Al-Hassan. “I’m a person who believes that everything happens for a reason, so while the injury came at an inopportune time, I really believed that at some point I would get the opportunity again.”
That point came sooner than expected, as he will step into the Octagon for the first time Wednesday night against the last man to hold the WEC’s light heavyweight title, Steve Cantwell. And truth be told, this is an even better gig for the Des Moines, Iowa resident than the first one.
“This worked out even better than the first time I was supposed to fight because I was given more notice and had a longer training camp, and stylistically with Steve, I think I have a better matchup,” he said. “It’s pretty interesting how things work out – I guess that’s the fight game.”
Longer training camp, better stylistic matchup, and hey, he’s on the main Spike TV card, fighting in front of millions of viewers. You can’t ask for more when it comes to a UFC debut, but Al-Hassan will have to work for his payday, as the “Razor” will be facing his toughest opponent to date in Las Vegas’ Cantwell.
“From all accounts, Steve seems like he’s pretty well-rounded,” said Al-Hassan of his foe. “He’s got pretty good striking, and I haven’t seen much of his ground work, but I know he possesses some jiu-jitsu. Styles make fights though, and I think I’m a bigger threat to him than some of the other guys he’s faced. I’m a well-rounded fighter as well, and I see some things in my game that may make it more difficult for him. I think this is a good time for us to face each other and it will definitely be a good bout.”
But what about the 26-year old Al-Hassan, a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do who has compiled a 7-0 record on the Midwest circuit? There’s little internet video on him other than some instructional clips, and while his work with WEC vet Chuck Grigsby points to some impressive standup, he’s basically coming into the UFC as an unknown. That’s fine with him.
“I think it’s a tremendous advantage for me,” said Al-Hassan. “Steve’s been out there, his fights have been publicized and he’s been on a bigger stage, so I’ve gotten to watch a lot of video on him. I’m an unknown guy, I have that mystery around me, and him looking at my record won’t tell him much about me. He can train in general for me, but he doesn’t know specifically what I bring to the table, so that’s a huge advantage going into this bout with him.”
What is known about Al-Hassan other than his perfect pro record, is that he’s a student who also works for Wells Fargo. That means his dedication to the sport is as pure as it gets, mainly because he does it for the love of the game.
“I’m not the first fighter who’s had to work a full-time job in addition to doing his training,” he admits humbly. “I think it (working a day job) is something I need to do for the time being, and when I get the opportunity to train I definitely maximize the time I have and make sure the time I do spend training is quality time. I have my working time here at the office, and I have my training and competitive side, and doing MMA and martial arts in general fulfills that competitive desire in me. So I need to do this.”
His after work pursuits do come as a shock to some people though.
“I didn’t have a rough upbringing, I didn’t get into fights growing up, and I’m a pretty laid back guy, so when people see me fight, they really can’t believe it,” he said. “But I love to compete and I want to push my limits and see how good I am and what I can do physically and psychologically.”
He’ll be pushed in the UFC, especially in one of the sport’s toughest divisions, where a number of the game’s superstars reside. It’s almost like pitching in Triple A ball and then being asked to take the mound against the Yankees for Game Seven of the World Series.
“Honestly, I know it’s so cliché, but it really is a dream come true,” said Al-Hassan. “It’s all my hard work that I put into training and fighting come to fruition. I’m still shocked that I’m getting the opportunity to fight on a UFC card, and to fight for the troops especially, and I feel the 205 class is the most competitive in the UFC, and to be in a division with guys like Chuck (Liddell), Rampage (Jackson), Wanderlei (Silva), Shogun (Rua), and all these top guys, it really is a huge honor. I feel like I’m a small fish in the ocean, but I’ll
ad
keep training and working hard, and maybe one day I’ll have the honor of facing one of those guys.”
For now though, it’s all about showing up on Wednesday night and displaying his skills for the nation against Steve Cantwell. He’ll worry about everything else after the final bell sounds.
“I really hope I go out there and put on a great performance,” he said. “A fight can make or break you, whether it’s a win or loss. If you’re in a good, competitive bout, you can gain a huge fan following that will be loyal to you for your entire career, so I want to go out there, put on a good show and I want people to see what I’m capable of doing. (When it comes to the future) I just want to keep getting better with each fight and there are no specific time parameters – I’ll fight whoever the UFC decides to put in front of me.”
