Exclusive: PFL's Mohammad Alaqraa shares why he couldn't cheer for Real Madrid despite being huge Cristiano Ronaldo fan

Modified Sep 12, 2024 07:30 GMT

Mohammad Alaqraa (inset) on Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid (right). [Image courtesy: Getty Images, @mo_alaq on Instagram]

Mohammad Alaqraa recently opened up about not being able to cheer for Real Madrid when the Spanish giants played their 'El Classico' against FC Barcelona. The PFL star also made it clear that he was a Cristiano Ronaldo fan and was highly motivated by the Portuguese football icon.

It's no secret that Ronaldo is widely considered among the greatest, if not the greatest, football players of all time. After tearing up the Premier League after signing with Manchester United in 2003, he joined Real Madrid in 2009, where he firmly cemented his legacy as a sporting great.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, the PFL star opened up about being unable to support Real Madrid despite being a Ronaldo fan. Revealing that 'CR7' was even on his phone home-screen wallpaper, Alaqraa explained why he couldn't support the 'Los Blancos' openly during 'El Classico' games, saying:

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"It's just that, my family they're all [FC] Barcelona fans. My father, my brothers, my uncles - all of them. I'm the only Real Madrid fan. Don't ask me why, brother, I have no idea. So when Real Madrid vs. [FC] Barcelona happens in my house, or my father's house actually, you're gonna see me sitting in the corner just waiting."

Alaqraa continued:

"When Real Madrid scores, I cannot be happy because they're all gonna look at me, staring at me. Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo, I feel like I get more motivation from them, especially with the hard work... Just gives you a different feeling."

Mohammad Alaqraa on receiving advice from Islam Makhachev about dealing with an opponent change

In the same interview, Mohammad Alaqraa opened up about training at Khabib Nurmagomedov's gym and receiving crucial advice on dealing with last-minute opponent changes.

Alaqraa was booked to face Badruddin Diani at PFL MENA in Riyadh next weekend. However, Diani was forced to withdraw from the event due to illness and was replaced by Emirates Warriors veteran Amir Fazli. When asked about dealing with an opponent change, Alaqraa said:

"I remember one time I was talking to Islam Makhachev. He told me, he was like, 'Brother, you wanna be the best? You gotta prove [to] whoever [is] in front of you, right?' So this is my dream, I wanna be the best fighter in the world, and I do believe I'm there... So whoever my opponent is, it doesn't matter because I want to be the best."

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Edited by C. Naik