The Lion will roar on June 12th in Miami as Amine Ballafrikh takes on Abraham Vidales in a Triumphant title fight.
Fighting out of Virginia’s Capital MMA & Elite Fitness, the Moroccan fighter is well known in the American Muay Thai scene. But here are 5 things you didn’t know about the Lion.
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1: He Doesn’t Care Who Is In Front Of Him
It takes a brave man to not look at his opponent beforehand. But Ballafrikh is both courageous and confident.
“To be honest, when I’m fighting someone, I don’t like to look at them,” Ballafrikh said.
His opponent, Vidales, has been on the big stage before. The Mexican fought regularly on Glory, the international kickboxing organization.
That doesn’t phase Ballafrikh though. He has more weapons with his Muay Thai, he has the elbows and the clinch.
“In Muay Thai I’m pretty sure I’m gonna open him up,” he said. “Muay Thai is different than kickboxing.”
Many fighters research their opponents. Yet Ballafrikh is confident in his ability to adapt in the ring and to use his weapons to play his game.
2: He Wasn’t A Born Fighter
One of the biggest debates in the world of fighting is about champions. Are champs born that way? Or do you become a champion?
According to Ballafrikh, he wasn’t born to be a champ, he wasn’t even born to be a fighter. That’s what he’s become though.
“I never thought one day I'm going to be doing this. I was born as a normal person,” Ballafrikh said.
The Moroccan stand out went to the gym, competed, and lost his first fight. He didn’t like how losing felt so he kept learning. He dedicated himself to the game. He had something to prove to himself.
“It became like a religion to me,” he said.
His devotion to the craft has put him on the big stages and now offers him a chance to take home the Triumphant title. He might not have been born to be a fighter, but it’s where he finds himself to be the happiest.
3. He’s Grateful
The world is undergoing hard times right now. But Ballafrikh is looking at the positives. He is happy to get the chance to fight on a big promotion.
“Triumphant is doing a really good thing for the sport. I like to give credit when someone is doing something good. Especially now, it is a tough time. Because everyone is stuck and there are no fights,” Ballafrikh said.
Triumphant and Muay Thai Addict have been able to host shows in Mexico this year. Triumphant 11 will be the first event back on American soil though. It’s a big event with Kevin Ross versus Asa Ten Pow headlining the card. The two will fight for the WMC MAD title in a defining moment for USA Muay Thai.
“I want to thank Triumphant for allowing me to step back into the ring,” he said.
Ballafrikh has been away from the ring due to Covid and fight cancellations for the last two years. He’s excited to get back to where he belongs and he appreciates that.
Photo and lead photo taken by Musa Visual Media LLC
4. He Started With A Dream And $100
If you want to talk about rags to riches stories, you need to look no further than Ballafrikh. He came to the states with only the money in his pocket. He delivered pizza at 20 years old for up to 16 hours a day. Using his work ethic and drive, he saved money, bought a car, and started fighting once more. Now he’s ready to take on the world and put on the Triumphant belt.
The Lion Will Roar on June 12th in Miami Florida at the James Knight Center for Triumphant 11.
Reserve your ticket for the event here.
Livestream Available now. Click here to order
Also slated to be on the card are other international standouts like Kevin Ross, Bekah Irwin, Jason Andrada, Troy Jones, Tierra Brandt, Coral Carnicella, and more.
The bout will be live streamed on Fite TV.
Make sure to stay tuned for more news coming soon!