HAVING escaped war-torn Afghanistan in a bid to save his life, Sahil Siraj laughs at the thought of being bullied in the cage.
Siraj is 9-2 in MMA after moving to Sweden at age 20 in an attempt to fight for a better life.
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He grew up in the Afghan capital, Kabul – where the Taliban terrorist group entered in September 1996.
From a young age, Siraj knew nothing but war and conflict until he fled nearly 3,000 miles to desperately escape.
He told SunSport: “Some people don’t understand. We’ve seen so much, whether it’s war or all the time bombings, we’ve been through so much.
“When I first opened my eyes, there was war in Afghanistan and even now there are still the Taliban there.
“But still, I was happy. You get used to the environment when you grow up in these places.
“Then when I come here, people make a big deal out of the smallest things. I don’t understand, we’ve been through so much, it’s ridiculous.”
Siraj began training in Muay Thai and kickboxing at the age of 15, whilst also playing for the Afghanistan rugby sevens team.
At 18, he moved into MMA to try to make a living, but he didn’t even have a gym to train in before emigrating to Europe.
Siraj said: “It wasn’t easy growing up there, going to school, especially training in martial arts, we didn’t have a gym.
“We had to pack our own bags, we had no carpets, the floor was solid as stone.
“So when I go out and see these opportunities and what people have here, it’s mind-blowing.
“People don’t appreciate it, when you go through something you appreciate it much more, today children all have iPhones and games and they still cry and moan.
“We never had anything, we were very happy just going to my uncle’s house every Friday and watching a movie.
“I’m grateful for everything I have now and I’m going to make the most of it.”
Siraj is now signed for European promotion Oktagon MMA and takes part in a 16-player tournament with a cash prize of £285,000 at stake.
He was due to return on March 2 against Britain’s Akonne Wanliss, but a fight between the opposing camps just a day earlier forced a postponement.
The grudge match takes place on April 20 in Wanliss’ hometown of Birmingham.
But for Siraj, the journey remains the same despite preparing to go behind enemy lines.
He said: “The goal is to fulfill all the desires I have in my heart.
“Being one of the best in the sport. First it starts with the Oktagon and the belt, then it goes to the UFC.”
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