The Real Deal

In conversation with Shadman Sakif, MMA Athlete and Fighter about his journey.

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

Being a martial artist has always been a lifelong dream. I remember always being the odd one out growing up who dreamed about being a martial artist when the rest of the kids aspired to become doctors, engineers, pilots, and astronauts. Living by that oath, I started my journey into Martial Arts with Karate and Tae-Kwon-Do. By the time I was 14, I had already held multiple Black Belts in both disciplines. In the following years, I was proudly flaunting my national flag as part of the Bangladesh Tae-Known-Do National Team, competing in Nepal, India and Korea. 

Please describe your journey to becoming an MMA Fighter

Taking inspiration from legends like Bruce Lee and Mohammad Ali, both great fighters in different forms of combat sports, I started off as a traditional martial artist and trained in Karate, Judo, Kung-Fu and more. However, I wasn’t born to be confined within the boundaries of traditional martial arts.

At 19, I moved to Malaysia to pursue my higher education in Sports and Exercise Studies. It was at that time that I officially started training for MMA in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. I trained with some of the world’s greatest fighters and coaches in the disciplines of Muay Thai, Kick-Boxing, Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and tactical Krav Maga. 

I fought my first international MMA fight in 2015 in Malaysia and won. An athlete’s first fight is one that can either make or break them, and my first win made me who I am today. Over my combat sports career as a Martial Artist, I fought over 38 fights, 11 of which were overseas. The cuts, bruises, fractures and blood-stained certificates, medals and trophies were all worth it because I am now a proud Bangladeshi MMA fighter, athlete and coach.

I fought my first international MMA fight in 2015 in Malaysia and won. An athlete’s first fight is one that can either make or break them, and my first win made me who I am today.

How does it feel to represent Bangladesh in International Tournaments?

Whether it was a cage, ring or podium, every time I’ve stepped into the spotlight to face a highly skilled opponent representing their country, there have always been two things I carry with me, God Almighty and the dreams and aspirations of 166 million people of my country, in my heart. It’s an indescribable feeling standing for your nation, a feeling as though it doesn’t matter if I win or lose, I write a piece of history for my country. 

Please tell us about your upcoming fights. How are you preparing for them in terms of training, nutrition & fitness?

My most memorable fights include defeating a former Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) champion in Malaysia, and my first Pro-Muay Thai fight in Thailand in the legendary Bangla Stadium as the first Bangladeshi fighter in that arena. I had no plan to stop, but during the pandemic, when the world came to a standstill, so did the competitions. So I had to take a brief break from fighting. During this time, I started coaching people in MMA, Kickboxing, Strength Training and Conditioning, promoting this culture and sharing my art. 

Currently, I’m rigorously training for the upcoming first international MMA competition in Bangladesh, as well as other international flights overseas that I have coming up in 2023. 

Fight training is no joke. It demands severe hard work, discipline and consistency. I split my training into two parts every day. The first part focuses on strength and conditioning and the second is where I refine my skills and techniques by doing drills. Regarding nutrition, unlike a bodybuilder, I am not following a strict diet, but rather taking the right nutrition within a regulated healthy diet that supports my training. To sum up, I have been prioritising training, eating right, and getting enough rest, all the while, ensuring peak mental health and consistency. 

Fight training is no joke. It demands severe hard work, discipline and consistency. I split my training into two parts every day. The first part focuses on strength and conditioning and the second is where I refine my skills and techniques by doing drills.

Speaking of fitness, people these days are keener on adopting a healthier lifestyle but don’t really know how. Have you thought about tapping into this market?

A healthy lifestyle is subjective.  As a lifelong advocate of fitness, for me, it is not confined to going to the gym and spending hours to have a ripped body, Insta-perfect physique or washboard abs. It’s the ultimate necessity for and definition of leading and living a healthy life. 

A healthy lifestyle should take care of your physical and mental well-being. We Bangladeshis spend countless hours in traffic, many stuck in 8-10 hour long jobs, only to go back home and do the same the next day. In 24 hours in a day, my advice is to dedicate just 30 minutes of your day (unless you’re a professional athlete or in a career that requires long hours of fitness training)- to yourself. Thirty minutes of movement can be walking in the park, doing a moderate at-home workout, dancing with your kids or spouse, or taking time to stop, stretch, and breathe. I would also suggest not stressing too much about nutrition, instead avoiding or limiting the 3 ‘S’s’- soybean oil, sugar and salt, trying to eat more vegetables, limiting eating out and enjoying fresh home-cooked meals that’ll facilitate better health. The trick? Don’t overeat, and don’t starve. 

Regarding tapping into this market, I don’t see sharing my knowledge or helping people adopt healthier lifestyles as an ‘opportunity’ or an arena of professional growth, but rather a privilege and my duty as a strength and conditioning coach, a fitness practitioner and a Martial Artist.