Abdul Razak Alhassan is in a good place heading into his UFC Vegas 48 contest.
UFC Vegas 48 is a big card for prospects across the UFC looking to make an impact in their respective divisions. Abdul Razak Alhassan is someone looking to keep his momentum, but he has a big test standing across from him in Joaquin Buckley.
Alhassan has had an up-and-down run in the UFC since his debut back in 2016. He’s exchanged wins for losses, both in singular fashion and in streaks of threes. After losing his debut, he won his next three fights, lost his next three, and then picked up a victory over Alessio Di Chirico in his last outing in August.
“You know how important that one was,” Alhassan said. “Going on a three-fight losing streak was not fun at all. Getting that win was a huge help and a huge boost of confidence, so that was good.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvwFasg3qhw?feature=oembed
That boost was important because according to Alhassan’s own words, he began to doubt himself and his place in the UFC. But it took words of encouragement from his family to get him back to where he knew he could be.
“Yea, I doubted myself every day. After the first loss, that’s when I started doubting myself,” Alhassan said. “The way my family talked to me. Let the past be the past and focus on the future. You’re better than that and that helped me.”
Another step that Alhassan took was a change of scenery for his fight preparation. He’s splitting his time between multiple camps, but most importantly Team Elevation at the recommendation of UFC Welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman.
“Kamaru was the one that suggested it to me,” Alhassan mentioned. “I felt like I needed a different place that would push me. To make me work had like I used to. To bring back that killer side of me.”
Joaquin Buckley brings excitement and a penchant for big-time knockouts
That’s exactly what he will need to do as Buckley is a big hitter that is known to bring violence whenever he steps into the cage. Buckley has also exchanged recent wins and losses, but when he ends a fight with a knockout, he’s known to do so in highlight-reel fashion.
“We literally try to take each other’s head off. He’s good, but I’m better,” Alhassan closed. “Everything is in a good space and I love it. I’m going to have fun out there.”