Bellator LW remembers ‘Bloodsport’ MMA beginnings: ‘I was scared sh*tless’

Beginnings are one of those strange and tricky things in MMA. For a combat sport, many fighters’ early experiences with mixed martial arts seem less sport and more combat. It’s not always what’s expected for someone on their way to becoming a top pro athlete, where careers usually started in childhood (or at the latest, teens) and have been carefully manicured with regular and regulated steps up in competition. For a lot of MMA fighters, even at the highest level, their careers often started with an opportunity to prove themselves.

Saad Awad is one of those fighters. The Bellator lightweight is getting ready to fight Derek Anderson at Bellator 160, this Friday, August 26th in Los Angeles, California. But nine years ago, he found himself in a cage in Costa Rica, with almost no training, no corner, and very little chance of succeeding.

“I fought my first fight in King of the Cage,” Awad remembers. “So, I fought that fight and there was a guy there that was training out here, nearby where I live, and he was Costa Rican. He’d been in MMA for a while. We became friends and he approached me to see if I wanted to fight over there. ‘Yeah, I’m putting on a show over there, it’s my first show. Do you wanna fight?’ I was like, ‘Sure,’ but it was kinda short notice and I didn’t take it.”

That was how it started. Simply enough, and not even with a fight. But, what was a first opportunity missed, turned into a more timely offer that the “Assassin” didn’t want to pass up.

‘Yeah this guy’s a world champ in kickboxing, this guy’s a black belt in Jiu Jitsu.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, well I wrestled for four years in high school!’

“I ended up training with him,” Awad continued, “he was kinda my coach. And then, ‘Hey, I’m having another fight, you want to go out there?’ I said, ‘Sure.’ So, I went out there and fought a tournament. I fought twice in one day, and it was… He told me it was at 170, but when I get there some of the guys are weighing in at 184 and 185. I’m like, ‘Dude, I thought it was at 170!?’ He’s like, ‘Oh, it’s 170 to 185.’ I’m like, ‘That’s 185! That’s not 170.’”

But changing weight classes was just the beginning. Out-sized promises, …

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