In terms of his preparations, he is now working with Mike Valle and his Chicagoland crew, relishing the opportunity to train alongside former welterweight champ Belal Muhammad, lightweight striker Ignacio Bahamondes, and the rest of the Valle Flow Striking team. In terms of his career, he’s on his first winning streak since opening with straight wins, having gone nine consecutive fights alternating results beginning with his first professional setback and his unanimous decision to Themba Gorimbo last year.
UFC 320 Full Fight Card Preview
Mentally, physically, and emotionally, he’s in the best place he’s been in quite some time: happy, healthy, and brimming with earned confidence; a far cry from the man who struggled to stay healthy, felt shame about being unable to compete and the impact not being able to train had on his body, and who pondered retirement before his two-year hiatus ended last year.
Where the Bronx-raised Brahimaj used to speak with the signature grit and timbre of his borough, trying to convince you that he belonged on the UFC stage, now the ascending 32-year-old is calm and measured, and no longer concerned with convincing you with his words.
“I’m just gonna show you how great I am, just like Muhammad Ali said, and it’s the truth,” he said in regards to his shift in confidence and demeanor. “I’ve done so much hard work throughout my life, and I never do anything out of a false sense of confidence, a false sense of security, or a false anything. Everything that I have done that has led me to this point, I have earned, and I plan on continuing that, so that’s what’s changed.
