Murad Ramazanov explains why fellow ONE Championship star Marat Gafurov was his MMA idol

Unbeaten Russian welterweight Murad Ramazanov is ready to make his highly anticipated return to the ONE Championship circle. But before he makes his walk down the ramp to face what is the toughest test of his career to date in Croatian phenom Roberto ‘Robocop’ Soldic, Ramazanov recalled a time he got to meet and train with his mixed martial arts idol.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Ramazanov talked about getting to roll and becoming good friends with former ONE featherweight world champion Marat ‘Cobra’ Gafurov.

Ramazanov told the promotion:

“We used to train at the same gym, and he was already very famous - no one could beat [Marat ]‘Cobra’ Gafurov. He was someone I looked up to, I loved training with him, even though sometimes it made me cry. I wanted to win against him in sparring so badly, but it was impossible. When Marat gets a top position, it is like being pinned down by a massive slab, it is impossible to get out. One day, several years later, I was able to win with a kimura. What a happy day it was.”

Of course, getting to roll with a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt in Marat Gafurov was certainly a positive experience for Ramazanov. He sure learned a lot from all the time spent on the mat with ‘Cobra'. Those skills will come in handy in his next fight.

Murad Ramazanov will face Roberto ‘Robocop’ Soldic at ONE on Prime Video 5 this week, when ONE Championship returns to the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. His perfect professional record will be at stake.

ONE on Prime Video 5: De Ridder vs. Malykhin broadcasts live on Friday, December 2, and is free for fans in the United States and Canada with an Amazon Prime subscription.

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Murad Ramazanov credits his parents for straightening him out

While he sees Marat Gafurov as his sporting inspiration, Murad Ramazanov credits his parents for putting him on the right path.

Ramazanov, in the same interview with ONE Championship, admitted that he was a difficult kid to deal with. His parents, though, made sure that he would grow up the right way.

The Russian fighter added that he was always getting into fights as a kid, but he eventually got straightened out due to his parents’ influence:

“I was a naughty, slightly cocky child, and my parents let me get away with quite a lot. But my parents gave me a good foundation in life. I understood early in life what was good and what was bad; they taught me to treat others with respect. Maybe because I was born when my parents were more mature, they had more experience and more patience to deal with me,” said Murad Ramazanov.