Full transcript
0:00Well, Jose Young's here with MMA
0:02fighting.com speaking with the
0:03bantamweight legend Marab Deval. Now,
0:05Morab, since your fight, last fight
0:08against Peter Yan, I feel like you've
0:10been really active. You've done doing a
0:12lot of media Q&As's. You've been doing
0:14RAF. So, how has the last 10 months been
0:17like for you?
0:19>> Like you said, I was busy. I was still
0:21doing my things. Um, there is um
0:25there is always something going on in my
0:27life. Good things, thank God. And um
0:30yeah, it was just fun. I was training to
0:33be honest. I was just busy like same
0:36like Asia, but I was missing
0:38competition.
0:39>> Yeah. I just spoke I spoke with you in
0:41in DC and you were wondering when Peter
0:44Yan was going to be ready to fight
0:45because he was still kind of recovering
0:47and everything going to World Cup games.
0:49>> When So I guess when did they finally
0:51tell you it's you versus Peter Yan in
0:54Abu Dhabi? So they know my answer since
0:59uh like maybe in January I was ready and
1:03u I was hoping to fight before white
1:05house because I know that Peter and me
1:09wasn't allowed to fight in white houses.
1:12So I was hoping before and then and
1:15after we all we all heard the news they
1:17did surgery and I was just waiting you
1:20know and then I was just like and then I
1:23find out 100% like with you guys you
1:26know everybody when you see announce
1:28then I know that I was that's it
1:30happened because otherwise I was just
1:31waiting hoping to fight soon and then um
1:34to be honest I was a little bit stressed
1:36I was still training but when uh I don't
1:39know when I don't have a fight whatever.
1:42But once I got the fight day and fight
1:45announced, I start training specific and
1:49I feel much much peace peace and relax.
1:52Now
1:52>> when you say your training specific,
1:54what did you have to take away from the
1:56first fight or the second fight I should
1:57say that you might have to make changes
1:59for this third fight?
2:01Yeah, I think uh second fight I was
2:03fighting his his uh his fight like what
2:06what he's I was proud of him and then
2:09exchange the boxing
2:12but um
2:14uh this time I will just u be myself you
2:18know I be I think I'll be my sharp and
2:21um
2:23um I know I can beat this guy you know
2:26he's strong he hits hard he's good he's
2:28he's strong but
2:30Uh, so it's going to be good fight. It's
2:32going to be good fight. I'm excited. You
2:33know, I trained I I can't tell you all
2:36the details, but
2:38>> how's the nose? Cuz I know you heard it
2:39in.
2:40>> It's fine, brother. It's fine. And uh
2:42I'm I'm a I'm a fighter and my nose is
2:45just fine, you know. It's it's my my
2:47nose has to be broken.
2:49>> Sure. [laughter]
2:50>> Were you happy the fight is in Abu
2:51Dhabi? Were you like hoping would be
2:53back in Vegas again? Uh yeah, I'm a
2:55fighter and I fight for UFC and we all
2:58know UFC travels and uh whatever UFC
3:01tells me to I'm fighting, I'm going. I'm
3:04there. Doesn't matter which state, which
3:06country, I'm I'm a fighter and I'll go
3:10I'll show up and um I'll fight, you
3:12know. Uh good thing is we have the same
3:14octagon,
3:16>> same lights and different opponents.
3:19>> I just spoke with him and he's having a
3:21lot of people fly He says all his whole
3:23village has bought tickets to come watch
3:25his fight. Do you have anyone from
3:26Georgia coming to see you compete?
3:28>> Absolutely. A lot of people from Georgia
3:29will come and especially from my
3:32country. Uh yeah, a lot of people are
3:35coming. uh and also like lots of people
3:39lives in Europe and some people
3:43like not you know you know it's come to
3:45us it's it's it's a little bit challenge
3:48so visa and stuff like this and but like
3:50now like um the lots of people haven't
3:54been my fights will be in Abu Dhabi so
3:57this is good things they can they can
3:59have a chance to come watch my fights
4:01>> just a just two more for me uh there's
4:03been a lot of activity in the
4:04bantamweight division Sean Ali obviously
4:06went 2 and 0. Song just knocked out
4:09Umar. I know you said you weren't happy
4:11to see the knockout with Umar, but I
4:12guess what do you make of the rest of
4:14the division staying active while you
4:15were waiting for Puran?
4:17>> Yeah. So, division keep going. I I love
4:20this, you know, like we have a lot of
4:22good guys like Ral Rosa. Um
4:24>> Oh, yeah. Next week.
4:26>> Yeah. Yeah. I'm I'm friends with him and
4:28he uh you know, he's cool guy, good,
4:30very strong. And there is lots of young
4:32tough tough fighters in this division.
4:35Yeah, like I said, um, uh,
4:39>> yeah, uh,
4:41>> there's a lot of activity.
4:42>> Yeah, a lot of activity. And then,
4:43>> yeah, so now we have a new new
4:46contender, Sonia Dong. And that guy,
4:50I'm not going to say he g me chills, but
4:52he he makes me excited, you know. Yeah.
4:54Yeah. Fresh opponent.
4:55>> New because he hits hard, you know. He's
4:57like a
4:59>> he really hits like a truck. So,
5:01>> and then I want I want to test that.
5:04Sure.
5:04>> I want to test it.
5:05>> And then just last one for me, Al
5:07Germaine Sterling versus John Silva.
5:09That's the fight to make, right?
5:10>> That's the fight to make for me because
5:13uh I mean all the respect John Silva,
5:15but uh you know like u you know Aljo is
5:20here too and then I think um a winner
5:23versus like Wakanoski or Mozar winners.
5:28I mean I think then make a John Silva
5:32and Aljo and uh yeah that would be that
5:34would be you know because
5:36>> you can't skip Aljo.
5:37>> No you can't.
5:38>> Who do you think wins between Valenoski
5:39and Mozar?
5:40>> Ah man
5:43>> Moar is undefeated never lost and he
5:46always find the way to how to win.
5:48Wakanoski he's just legend. So strong so
5:50so skilled. so talented. It's hard to
5:52take him down in a great striking, great
5:55distance, like so strong, crazy mindset.
5:59And I mean, it's it's going to be very
6:02close fight. And uh I mean I I I go for
6:06uh just
6:0851% for Wakanoski. [laughter]
6:10>> I like that.
6:11>> 5149 for Wakanoski. But of course, Mosar
6:14is great fighter, too.
6:16>> Thank you so much, Morav. Thank you.
6:17I'll see you in Abu Dhabi.