Last year the fans of Swedish MMA finally got to see the pro debut of Sevan Madenjian and he finished off 2023 by lining up two straight, first round submission wins. Now he prepares for his third pro fight, which takes place against Mashrab Mamadaliyev at Fight Club Rush 19 on February 24th, and has opened up about his life and ambitions.
Those in the know have no doubts that Madenjian is a top prospect with tons of potential. While he clearly excels inside the cage, Madenjian has been somewhat apprehensive in regards to the microphone and interviews.
While not opposed to it, Madenjian admits he’s still getting used to those aspects of MMA.
“I am not used to being questioned one on one, except for occasions we should not mention,” Madenjian tells Frontkick with a laugh.
Madenjian is most recently coming off of a 30 second submission win over Mihajlo Rajic at Wolf Fight Promotion 9. Originally “The Pirtate King” was supposed to face Irish prospect Troy Gibson, but the fight ended up falling through.
“Mihajlo was not the plan, not even close to the plan. I was supposed to fight an Irish guy. He got injured and then two others also pulled out, then Mihajlo was the one who contacted Wolf”
Now, however, Madenjian is set for a solid test, taking on Mamadaliyev.
Though Mamadaliyev lost his pro debut last spring against top prospect John Oldenqvist, he still had great moments. Those with their finger on the pulse of Swedish MMA have noted Mamadaliyevs many accomplishments in amateur MMA, including three wins over Linus Lindeberg, a victory over Firass Kaaki and strong performances in losing efforts to the likes of Christian Stigenberg and Ratko Tomic.
“The Pirate King” sees the bout with Mamadaliyev as a good match up, but doesn’t want to take anything for granted.
“Mashrab is a good fighter, he did a great fight against this John guy. But this is fighting, one mistake can cost you the fight.”
Read more: Gustafsson vs. Lampinen is the ‘Fight of the Year’ at UFC Fight Pass
Sevan Madenjian: “Anime is what kept me going”
Throughout his years Madenjian has seen his fair share of ups and downs. Originally from Armenia, Madenjian went on to live in Belgium and now calls Sweden home. That long journey has been anything but easy, however Madenjian chooses to learn and grow from those hardships rather than wallow in self pity.
Heading into the bout with Mamadaliyev Madenjian leans on his mental fortitude as his biggest asset.
“My mindset is my all time greatest strength. I have sacrificed more than some people can even imagine to get here and I’m doing it everyday!
Though somewhat stoic outwards, Madenjian lights up light a Christmas tree when speaking about one of his biggest passions outside of martial arts: anime.
Much like former UFC champion Israel Adesanya, Madenjian is a big fan of anime and has been ever since the hard times that he and his brother endured as youths.
“Anime is the best! When I was in foster homes anime is what kept me and my brother going and what kept me motivated. Monkey D. Luffy (from the hit anime One Piece) is my favorite character, as he from the beginning has a dream and no matter what people say he kept charging forward screaming: ‘I will become the king of pirates’ and will too – I will also make my dreams reality!”
Madenjian looks forward to debuting on a big stage, but also to giving his fans more of what they have become accustomed to – MMA excellence.
“To my fans, if you are with me you know what to expect! Pirate King out!”
Read more: Former UFC champ TJ Dillashaw shows off crazy body transformation – hints comeback!
Read more: A closer look at Conor McGregor’s return: He can make history!
Subscribe to Frontkick.online on YouTube for the best MMA and Muay Thai videos in Scandinavia, make sure to follow us on Instagram for the latest news and updates! Check out our sister site Maximum Sports YouTube channel for premium Swedish martial arts content! How will Sevan Madenjian fare against Mashrab Mamdaliyev? Comment on Facebook!
