Mohib Javed is all set to make his amateur MMA debut this Saturday at Goliath Fight Series 3.
The promotions third installment is set to take place at the Lochgelly Centre in Lochgelly in-front of a sold out crowd. The show is stacked with talent from across the country, as well as internationally.
We had the opportunity of speaking with Mohib Javed ahead of his debut on April 29th. Hear what he had to say below.
Interview With Mohib Javed
Mohib, you are just over one week out from making your official MMA debut. Talk me through the thoughts, feelings and emotions as we close in on fight night.
Well, coming out of a fight camp during Ramadan, the feeling is calm, focused, and dangerous. After the gruelling camp, the fights are the enjoyable part, and I’m gonna enjoy having my hand raised Saturday night, God willing.
Obviously, you’re going into your debut with the intention of winning. Despite the result, what sort of experience are you looking to gain from April 29th?
The main thing is correcting the mistakes from the last one. Last time out, I didn’t let my combinations flow as nicely as they do in sparring, so I’ve been working on tying my full striking arsenal together throughout this camp. Also, a big thing for me is getting experience with a different set of skills, distances, and glove sizes compared to my K1 background. I’m looking forward to seeing where I’ve developed in my full mma game and where I still need to improve after I win Saturday.
Mohib Javed Talks Journey into MMA
For the readers that perhaps don’t know you, tell them a bit more about yourself and your background in mixed martial arts.
So I was born and raised in the Medway towns in southeast England, and throughout my teenage years, like every other 16-year-old, I was obsessed with Conor Mcgregor, and that was the gateway into my love for fighting.
Coincidentally I was getting into more issues with people in my area, at school, etc., because of my loud mouth and just being reckless as a kid, so after I finished high school and moved away to university decided I needed to learn some form of self-defence. I went to a taster session at the University of Nottingham muay thai society.
The rest was history. I was addicted, in the gym 6-7 days a week, training 1-2 times a day on top of doing my economics degree, and I can say the love for the game never died. We were fortunate enough that our society was partnered up with 4th dimension mma, so we also had the luxury of learning and training with pro kickboxers. So my level rose dramatically, but because of covid, my training came to an abrupt halt two weeks out from my second K1 fight. I was on and off training in my final year, and after I graduated, I started working on a graduate scheme. I was still training back in Medway at CSA Strood, but because my job was work from home and I had no real intent to compete, I ended up out of shape and just stuck in a rut.
However, the second placement of my grad scheme involved me having to move up to Fife, so I thought new area and new motivation. I wanted to get back to fighting because two years off was making that itch come back hard, and I found goliath mma by looking for local gyms and just seeing what everyone had to offer.
The quality of facility and training was good in most places, but the team spirit at Goliath was honestly something I’ve never really experienced outside my uni team. That was what sold me on Goliath as it genuinely felt like a family away from home, and that made that fire to compete burn again.
MMA Debut
How did you know the time was right to take the leap and make your MMA debut?
To be honest, I never really gave it much consideration. I would’ve fought mma after a month at goliath if the opportunity presented itself. I’m always looking to take risks and challenge myself, and whilst I hate losing, I am not afraid to put myself in a position where I could lose. If there’s nothing to overcome, there’s no growth. However, all that being said, my mma skill set is so much more developed after six months of grinding out the grappling game and mixing it all together, so I believe it’s part of gods plan for me to be lined up in this position today.
Who has been some of the guys at Goliath Fight Series helping you the most prepare and help with advice ahead of next Saturday?
Honestly, our gyms are packed with seriously talented fighters, so it’s hard to rattle off the names of everyone who’s helped. However, the person who I’ve definitely trained to most with has been Ben Hastie, who’s also fighting on the card, and we’ve both given each other good work to be ready to take back wins on Saturday.
Game Plan
With it being your debut, I assume the “game plan” is to go in there and work on your own skill set and game instead of worrying about your opponent in the build-up?
100% at amateur level, I couldn’t care less about what my opponents are going to do. I’m interested in finding the holes in my own game from live experience, so when I go pro, I’m ready for all different types of challenges.
Having competed in K1 for numerous years. How much confidence does that give you leading into the fight as opposed to someone who’s never experienced a live fight in real-time any form of combat?
I feel very confident that I’m going to paste this boy across the canvas with my striking. I’m not being overconfident, but I believe in my ability to finish this fight fast, but my genuine belief is that God determines victory and defeat. I’m just gonna go out and do the work I can, and I’ve prepared as best as I can, but when you’re in there, anything could happen, so being confident needs to be tied in with being ready for anything.
Competing in Several Disciplines
Looking ahead, what’s the mindset of Mohib Javed in terms of competition? Are you looking to compete solely in MMA or mix it up in K1 and perhaps some grappling comps moving forward? Where are you with that?
Honestly, my aim is to do as much of any competition as possible. MMA, K1, Boxing, Grappling, whatever. I want to become a savage in all realms of combat, and to do that involves competing in every arena. While you’re an amateur, if you aren’t doing that, then you’re wasting the opportunity you have. No one’s going to remember you’re wins and losses until you go pro, and if you go pro with a wealth of different experiences, you’re far more likely to be successful in the long term.
Sell the fight with Nasaar Abdo to the fans. What can we expect to see you bring come fight night?
You can expect me, as always, to walk out calmly and composed with my team before taking the long walk. Once I lock eyes with Nassar and the door closes, I’m gonna stare into his soul and see the fear in his eyes. He’s gonna be a deer in the headlights, not equipped to deal with the pressure, and I’ll break him. I feel sorry that he’s coming all the way out from Norway to get whooped, but it’s a cruel game, and I’m a mean individual.
Last Words
I’ll leave you with the last words. Any sponsors or anybody you’d like to thank or any last words for your opponent?
First and foremost, Alhamdullilah. I want to thank God for helping me through this camp during Ramadan. Without God, none of this would be possible. I want to give a shout-out to my team Goliath MMA and my coach Steven Harris. I’m praying we go 6/6 for the Goliath boys like the last home show, and I’m confident we will. A bit of shout out to my latest sponsor Calum Hughes Sports Massage, who has been helping with my recovery throughout this camp and has been a big help to the boys in my team as well. Nassar, good luck.
Featured image credits to Angy Ellis photography
