Dortmund, Germany — Flyweight Mohammed Walid, a Kurd fighting out of Germany, picked up a victory over Aaron Aby at Oktagon 69 on Saturday in Dortmund.
That left Walid (8-4) in high spirits following a successful promotional debut.
“I feel good, I feel good. I have pain in my head, I was asking my coach, ‘is it normal that I have pain?’ Of course, because I was in a fight,” he joked.
Walid was aware of the caliber of fighter he was facing heading into the fight, which arrived on the Oktagon 69 preliminary card. Though he’s fought experienced opponents before, Walid did acknowledge that there was a deficit between himself and Aby in that department. What didn’t worry him however was Aby’s power.
“He has good experience, he has two times more fights than me, and I knew this guy always goes to decision. I was not afraid of his power, I knew I was more powerful than him,” Walid told Cageside Press following the bout. “I felt in the first round, his punch, it was okay, but I respect his experience, I respect the things he’s gone through in his life, I respect everything and I knew what was coming. I was prepared 100% with my team, with coach David, with my teammates. I was ready for it.”
Walid later elaborated on strategy, which amounted to dragging Aby into deep waters and seeing if he could swim. Though any means necessary.
“The game plan was to make him tired. Even if he took me down, I was using this moment because it’s not easy to hold someone down. And I could stand up, but I just gave a little bit more time so he gets more tired, and you saw the result. In the third round I clubbed him with the left hook, and I almost finished the fight. But I’m so happy with the result.”
Aby was ranked at #3 ahead of the bout, and there’s a chance Walid lands in that spot now. Which puts him in the running for Oktagon flyweight champion Beno Adamia, a fighter he faced outside the promotion earlier in their respective careers. Walid lost a split decision in that 2022 encounter, and would very much like the chance to avenge the loss.
“I want the title, because I fought Beno, I lost to him, split decision. And now he’s the champ, he has the belt. Of course I want my belt, and I want this victory because for me, it will be something so nice in my career,” Walid stated.
Which matters more, the belt, or vengeance? “Both of them, but my focus is on the title,” answered Walid. “Whoever has the title, I’m going to go for it. I want the belt, it’s my belt, I want to feel it here on my belly. And I want to be the new face, first Kurdish flyweight out of Germany.”
Watch our full Oktagon 69 post-fight interview with Mohammed Walid above.
