Mohamed Touizi said he is confident he has the measure of Ricardo Hilario ahead of their bout for the K1 continental flyweight belt in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Touizi will represent the UAE as he takes on the Portuguese on a stacked K1 Pro Night at Space 42 Arena.
The sixth edition of the event consists of 30 bouts that has drawn fighters across 24 countries with the headline contest being the World Super middleweight title contest between Serbian Nikola Todorovic and Jordi Requejo Coronado of Spain.
Touizi, 25, is a Muaythai world champion and believes the skills he has honed lend themselves perfectly in his pursuit of kickboxing glory.
“It’s two different combat sports with some similarities. I train and compete in both and looking forward to winning the continental belt for the UAE,” Touizi told The National.
“I have been on the world stage in Muaythai and to be in the intercontinental title fight is a big step up for me in kick boxing. Obviously I’m fully prepared and focused for Saturday."
Touizi, who won gold at the IFMA U23 Muaythai Worlds in Abu Dhabi in 2022, met Hilario last year at the World Association of Kickboxing Organisation (Wako) championship in Portugal, although not in the ring as they were both eliminated in the early rounds of that competition.
“We have seen each other in action,” Touizi said. “I have a fair idea of Ricardo's style but a lot may have changed in one year. Like me, I guess he too must have progressed up the ladder to meet me in a title fight. But I’m quite confident in taking him on.”
The youngest in a family of six, Touizi was a very active child, prompting his parents to enroll him in a karate school to help him expend his energy. He turned professional three years ago and has continued his journey full time in combat sports.
“I stopped enjoying karate and moved to Muaythai and kickboxing when I was around 13. Here, I got hooked to the two martial art sports, which I love it to this day,” he said.
“I participated in the Wako events to reach the top 10 and now I’m in the top three going into the intercontinental belt [match]. So, I’m really happy of my decision to pursue fulltime in the sport that I love.”
Touizi also has a business management degree which he said would be useful in the years to come.
“Right now, I’m not thinking of doing any other job, except to remain a professional fighter. I’m not looking too far but enjoying what I’m doing right now and doing the best for the UAE in the sport.
“When you enjoy what I do and earn a decent income, that’s good enough for me. Combat sports has grown and is still growing with big money to earn like in boxing and MMA, but I’m happy in the martial art sports I do with some success.
“If I have to crossover to MMA, I need to learn a few more martial arts like jiu-jitsu and grappling. That will take another two years and I feel it’s too late for me,” he said when asked if a switch to mixed martial arts was on his radar.
“My lifestyle has changed since turning a pro fighter. I’m more disciplined in my work ethics, eating habits, mental and physical health and so on. The intercontinental belt can do a world of good for me to continue my journey and bring honour to the UAE.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
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The%20specs
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The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Read more about the coronavirus
The biog
Favourite book: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Favourite music: Classical
Hobbies: Reading and writing
The%20Genius%20of%20Their%20Age
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20S%20Frederick%20Starr%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Oxford%20University%20Press%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20290%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2024%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dunbar
Edward St Aubyn
Hogarth
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
India squads
T20: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shivam Dube, Shardul Thakur
Test: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant
Match info:
Manchester City 2
Sterling (8'), Walker (52')
Newcastle United 1
Yedlin (30')
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Juventus v Napoli, Sunday, 10.45pm (UAE)
Match on Bein Sports
