Ali Yuzeir can't wait for the next SENSHI Event

Ali Yuzeir was part of the SENSHI Grand Prix tournament in the up to 85 kg category.

Unfortunately, the Bulgarian fighter was eliminated in the very first bout — but not against just anyone. He faced the kickboxer who went on to win the tournament, Joshua Akingbade from Ireland.

"I feel good after the fight. Everything was going according to plan in the first round. In the second round, things went wrong — I took a heavy shot and had to fight with an opposite stance until the end. I couldn't use my strongest weapons. My opponent was very well prepared, and the game plan didn't work against him," the fighter said on the air of ''Bulgaria Sutrin''.

Yuzeir admits that his opponent moved very well around the ring and was extremely sharp.

"I don't dispute anything — he was better than me. He was more mobile than me. We always do analyses after our fights. I haven't returned to the gym to train yet; I'm taking some time to rest. The injury isn't that serious, and I'll have a little more recovery time until the end of the week. After that, we'll work on correcting the mistakes," he also told Bulgaria ON AIR.

According to him, a loss can teach you much more than a victory. You see all your mistakes, and in the next fight you are better prepared.

"For the first two or three days, you feel disappointed in yourself, but once you return to the gym and start preparing for the next fight, that feeling goes away. If you have just won a fight and are preparing for the next one, it isn't quite as motivating. The coaches see every mistake — their role is extremely important. We will work much harder for the next fight," Yuzeir emphasized.

During his preparation, his team always studies his opponents’ strengths and weaknesses.

"We train twice a day, and sometimes it can be three sessions. Preparing for a tournament like this is very demanding and costly. The evening session is the most important one. That is when we work on technique and sparring, which are the things a fighter needs the most," Yuzeir added.

Ali Yuzeir does not look for a knockout from the opening moments of a fight. Instead, he assesses his opponent’s weaknesses and works on exploiting them.

"I would be very happy to receive another invitation to compete at the next SENSHI. I have two upcoming competitions: the World Muay Thai Championship in Kosovo and the European Kickboxing Championship at the end of the year in North Macedonia," the fighter concluded.