Luton MMA fighter is striking for gold at world championship in Georgia
Luton-based MMA fighter Hamza Shoukat is targeting a gold medal at the World Championships in Georgia after less than two years in the sport.
Hamza will compete at the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) World Championships in Tbilisi, running from November 1 to 7, where amateur fighters from teams around the world will compete.
The 23-year-old nicknamed “Showtime” will be making his international debut competing in the Bantamweight 61.2 kg (135 lbs) category representing England.
Hamza trains at Legends MMA in Luton under head coach Faisal Malik, putting in two to four hours a day, six days a week, as he prepares for the biggest test of his career so far.
And he has one clear objective: “For the gold medal, to win the gold. InshaAllah (God Willing). I'll be winning it,” he said.
When granted the opportunity to compete, he said: “It was a mix of emotions. I was happy, but when I saw my coach was happy, that's when I knew it means a lot.
“The IMMAF is like the Olympics of MMA. That's when I knew it was a big thing.”
It’s Hamza’s first international competition, having won multiple national belts. And while his preparation follows a familiar routine, the intensity has increased ahead of the championships.
The fighter is also preparing to demonstrate the breadth of his abilities, with striking an area he wants to showcase in Georgia.
He said: “I'm doing a bit of everything. Many people know me for my grappling, but I'll be showing I can strike as well. I'll be showing a few punches.”
The prospect of facing multiple fights during a tournament is another challenge, but Hamza is confident.
He said: “I've never fought back-to-back fights. I never fought this one before, but I should be fine. I know I've got the right coach with me. I've been doing the right training, so I should be fine.
“The biggest challenge in this sport is always injuries. This sport's full of injuries, so during every camp you do get injured. That's probably the only setback.”
Hamza’s commitment to MMA also means balancing training with employment. He has a degree in civil engineering and is currently working at Amazon.
Asked what his biggest sacrifice has been, he said: “Probably time. You have to spend so much time training. You have to do that, and yeah, these are basically the only sacrifices I've made.”
Hamza has lived in Luton for the past seven years and has found a sense of community in the town. He said: “When I came to Luton, it felt good. There's a community from Pakistan, so that was nice.”
His coach, Faisal Malik, has worked with him for two years this month at Legends MMA and has backed his natural ability and attitude towards training.
Coach Faisal said: “I can push Hamza just naturally; how he moves, his mindset, as a coach you can tell who is different and who is not, who is gifted and who is not. He is very talented.
“The difference is that he believes in what I say. That for me is the biggest thing. If I say kick, he will kick. That's why he is the master of the work here.”
For Hamza, bringing home a medal would mean far more than personal success. He said: “It means a lot. It means a lot to my coaches, means a lot to my family, and that's the reason I'm training so hard.”