A heated statement is currently stirring up the German combat sports scene. It all started with a comment from Edmon, the creator of the popular YouTube channel RINGLIFE and organizer of the Ringlife Combat Series, during a livestream. When asked about his thoughts on the German MMA Championship (GMC), Edmon didn’t hold back: "To put it simply, GMC was amazing, but they messed it up. I think that sums it up well. I’m not sure where they went wrong, but GMC was the biggest MMA organization in Germany, and they somehow completely blew it and have become almost irrelevant."
This sharp criticism prompted a response from Deniz Haciabdurrahmanoglu, the head of GMC. In a detailed reply, he defended his organization’s accomplishments and took a shot at Edmon’s involvement in the bare-knuckle scene. "But that’s your thing, it’s your business if you or anyone else likes that crap sport. I call it a crap sport because, to me, it has nothing to do with all of this. If you want to get clicks, just pull your pants down, you'll get just as many" Deniz fired back at Edmon.
Deniz made it clear that GMC is still heavily involved in developing talent. He pointed to athletes like Alexander Luster, who is currently fighting in the PFL semifinals for 100,000 euros, and the undefeated heavyweight Nezar Al-Khabbaz, who has offers from Bellator and the UFC. "The whole world is craving him" Deniz emphasized.
Furthermore, Deniz shared his vision for the future of MMA in Germany. He is advocating for MMA to become an Olympic sport and stressed the importance of the strict regulations that GMC follows. In contrast, he criticized organizations with loose rules, which he believes are holding the sport back.
Despite these differences, Deniz underscored the need for better collaboration within the German combat sports community, urging, "Build up the German scene and stop tearing down everything good that someone tries to do by always looking for the flaws."
This statement highlights the tensions within the German combat sports scene but also reveals the passion and dedication driving the sport behind the scenes.
