Ramazon Yumaev: “With support like that in the stands, there was no way I could lose in Dushanbe”

Ramazon Yumaev won gold at the World SAMBO Cup, held 19-20 September in Dushanbe, in the under-88 kg Combat SAMBO category. In the final, the Tajik athlete led 6:1 before sealing the win with a submission. After the bout, he spoke about his preparation, the support from the crowd, and his plans for the World Championships.

– Ramazon, that was a standout final – a commanding lead on the scoreboard, capped off with a submission. What's the secret to that kind of performance?

– My team and I train and prepare every single day so we can perform well at competitions. First and foremost, we don't want to let our country down – and after that, ourselves, our fans and our parents.

– You came out with huge motivation, and the crowd was fully behind you. Did that help?

– Of course, it meant a lot to me. I honestly feel like with support like that, there's no way you can lose. Every single person who came out there did it from the heart, to support us. Tajiks always look out for one another. And it's not just about our own athletes – they cheer for guests from other countries too, to motivate every competitor to fight for the win.

– How tough was the competition day for you? You had a few bouts...

– I'm a five-time Republic of Tajikistan champion across different weight categories – in MMA, Combat SAMBO, judo and Sport SAMBO. When my head coach called and told me I'd be competing in the under-88 kg category, that was the first time I'd ever fought at that weight. Before that, I'd always competed at 79 kg. When I weighed in and saw my opponents, I'll be honest, I got a little scared. But my character wouldn't let me back down. I had to perform well for my country.

– How did your bouts go today?

– In my first bout, I drew a Russian athlete. The first fight is always tough, and honestly, I didn't feel like I was at my best. But right after that, going into the final, I felt really good. In the second bout, my opponent got injured and couldn't come out to fight. Then straight after that came the third bout – the final.

– Now you're a World Cup champion. What's next?

– First, I'll talk things over with my coaches and keep building up step by step. Next stop – the World SAMBO Championships!