Issue 049
May 2009
For some, France is the land of great wine, delicious food and captivating culture. For middleweight Karl Amoussou, it’s a place he’s hoping to leave far behind.
The French fighter has been making sizeable splashes in the European circuit, with a string of impressive wins in M-1 and other, smaller, promotions. However, in order to progress further, Amoussou plans on leaving his old life as a Paris policeman behind, and starting anew Stateside as a dedicated, full-time fighter.
“I am dedicating myself to MMA,” says Amoussou. “I want to put a stop to my police career and fight full-time. It’s very difficult to train full-time in France, so I’m leaving and moving to the US to train with my favourite fighter and hero, Wanderlei Silva. If everything goes well I will stay there. In one year, my goal is to fight for the UFC or Affliction.”
It may seem like an ambitious goal, but all it takes is one viewing of an Amoussou highlight reel to see that the Parisian is something special. The judo black belt isn’t just completely relentless, he fights from the heart, always bringing 100% to each tilt.
Amoussou’s brutal knockout of Dmitry Samoilov and his body kick stoppage of Mike Dolce are mandatory viewings for any true MMA fan. The Parisian’s ultra-aggressive style has even earned him a fitting nickname: ‘Psycho’. “Psycho is a great nickname,” says Amoussou. “I have two sides. Normally I’m a calm and cool guy - when I’m not fighting that is. But when I fight, well, anyone who has seen my fights, knows!”
Unfortunately for Amoussou, French MMA fans haven’t always been supportive in the past. As a showman and successful self-promoter, the middleweight is often labelled as proud and lacking in humbleness. Amoussou insists that his smack talk is all in the name of putting on a good show, something that fans understand better across the pond.
“My relationship with French fans is a little bit complicated,” says Amoussou. “My last fight I got booed because I’m a policeman. People don’t like the police here, they really treat them like garbage. Second thing, I’m a showman, so the French think I’m too proud and not humble enough. I like to say funny and outrageous things, but it’s always to create excitement and promote the fight. We see this all the time in the UFC with Quinton Jackson.”
Skilled, aggressive, exciting, and a great self-promoter, all of these skills will surely help Amoussou when he makes his big US debut. The question, however, is whether or not the Frenchman has the drive to make it in the big leagues? The jump from small shows to big promotions has broken many fighters in the past, but Amoussou is confident that his name will soon become very recognisable, both in North America and Europe.
“It’s going to take time,” says Amoussou. “I can’t compare myself to top UFC middleweights yet, they’re so far ahead of me. But I’m leaving everything behind, and dedicating myself to this career. I will succeed.”
Karl Amoussou spoke with Stash Capar
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