Las Vegas, NV — Lightweight Nazim Sadykhov makes his promotional debut at UFC Vegas 69 this Saturday, an Azerbaijani out of Brooklyn sporting the downright cool nickname “Black Wolf.”
Sadykhov isn’t the only “Wolf” whose lineage can be traced back to the Caucasus region of Europe; ahead of his fight with Evan Elder, Sadykhov revealed the origins of his nom de guerre to Cageside Press.
“I’m always hunting for blood. I’m strategic in doing so. It reminded my teammate of a wolf,” Sadykhov (7-1) said, giving the back story to his nickname. “Also in like the Caucasus region, like ‘Borz,’ ‘Wolf,’ [Khamzat] Chimaev, his nickname is ‘Borz.’ It’s like a compliment, it’s an honor to be wolf.”
“I adopted Black Wolf, because Black Wolf is a rare breed of wolf that does not travel in packs. So a Timber Wolf, a Grey Wolf, a Mexican Wolf, which ever wolf, they are not as rare of a breed as a Black Wolf. Black Wolf is a very rare breed, a stronger wolf, longer legs, much more agile, and they learn to adapt to live on their own.”
While mixed martial arts sees athletes competing individually, MMA is very much a team sport. Sadykhov was careful to dispel any notion that he wasn’t appreciative of his team, be it Longo and Weidman MMA or Xtreme Couture. “I’m not saying I don’t have a wonderful team around me or I don’t have a great support system, but a lot of times in my life and in tough moments I found myself alone. So I adapted the Black Wolf breed into my nickname, so it’s Black Wolf. Nazim ‘Black Wolf’ Sadykhov.'”
Azerbaijan hasn’t had a ton of representation in the sport, and Nazim Sadykhov now has a chance to be a role model and influence for his ancestral home. Asked what that meant to him, Sadykhov spoke of his love for both country and family.
“It’s the homeland. I love Azerbaijan. I love my culture, I love my roots. I didn’t grow up in the country, I am a Brooklyn guy, but I never forget where I came from,” he stated. “I never forget my lineage, my parents, my grandparents. I never forget my bloodline. My bloodline is from Azerbaijan, I genuinely love Azerbaijan just because, just because I’m Azerbaijani.”
In his UFC debut, Sadykhov faces an opponent in Elder who sports an identical record, one who is coming off the first loss of his career — which came in his own promotional debut.
“I think it’s a very good fight. I think he’s preparing for the fight of his life, I’m preparing for the fight of my life,” observed Sadykhov. “Stylistically I think this plays into my hands perfectly, and to be honest with you, I don’t think there is a style that doesn’t play into my hands perfectly. I think my style is strategic— wolf, remember that? I think my style is strategic. There isn’t a style I can’t figure out, maybe some will take longer than others, maybe he’s going to come with a few tricks up his sleeve.”
“At the end of the day, I feel like I’m better everywhere, and I feel like I’m going to get the job done, and I’m going to do so impressively.”
Watch our full interview with UFC Vegas 69’s Nazim Sadykhov above.
