“It’s like my own fault. I was many times in jail because of some fights on the street,” Dulatov said. “If you beat someone or punch someone on the wrong place, you will get problems and I learned on the hard way. And that’s the reason why it took so long to get to the professionals.”

A big reason for those issues came from a misunderstanding of the cultural norms. Where Dulatov and his brothers come from, it was a way of life and something your elders teach you is right.

“I’m from Chechnya, we don’t come from like usual country. We grew up with fighting; we grew up with like our adults, our big brothers and family teach us to be a man. A man has to know how to fight, a man has to protect his family like this,” he explained. “And with this mindset, I come to Germany. It was very fast, everything, someone says something, you say what’s going on, you fight him, you beat him. But it’s Germany, we are not in Chechnya.”

However, even after all of that, he and his family have flipped the switch. With his brother Islam in the UFC and Tamerlan making a name for himself as well, the country they came to years ago now stand fimly behind him.

“Man, to be honest, it’s a big honor, because like you said, it was a hard start here. We flew as refugees, so we come to Germany, we don’t have the best start,” Dulatov explained. “But right now I see German people on the street, you know, they say you make us proud, you make our country proud, people like you, you are refugees.”

He’ll look to make the German people proud yet again on Saturday. He’ll get a chance to when he fights Sebastian Hirtenlehner as part of the Okatgon 76 prelims. You can see those fights on oktagon.tv with the fight card starting at noon EST.

The post Oktagon 76’s Tamerlan Dulatov: Proud to Represent Germany After Tough Start appeared first on Cageside Press.

Kicking off this edition of TTP is our interview with Dana White’s Contender Series lightweight, Adam Livingston. Livingston discusses with Gumby what got him hooked on the world of MMA. And, as he became hooked on the sport, how he managed to find out that he was pretty good at this fighting stuff. Plus, he shares some thoughts about life outside of the cage and him time in college. Plus, if that’s not enough for you, he’s giving you a breakdown of his Dana White’s Contender Series fight. He throws down with Thomas Gantt on this week’s episode.

Combat Countdown: Top 5 Next American UFC Champs (19:06)

With Noche UFC in the rearview mirror, we look ahead to the folloing weeks. However, without any UFC this week to break down, we decided to run back the Combat Countdown. With no currently American men holding UFC belts, we decided to countdown the most likely to change that tune. There are plenty of American fighters who have the potential to do so, but who was able to make the list? Come check it out and let us know if you disagree. For this segment, all odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Tamerlan Dulatov Interview (29:46)

Closing out this UFC Paris edition of TTP is our interview with Oktagon middleweight, Tamerlan Dulatov. Dulatov shares stories about his early days of moving to Germany and gets candid about the trouble he got into earlier in his life. Now with things settled in and in a better spot, he’s making moves in the world of MMA. Already 2-0, he has an opportunity on Oktagon this weekend to make a statement and show that he’s a real prospect – just as his brother did. He breaks down his upcoming fight for us, but also shares with us how his family is filled with training partners.

The post TTP Ep. 498: Adam Livingston, Tamerlan Dulatov, and Next American UFC Champs appeared first on Cageside Press.