Nasrat Haqparast is back in the Octagon this coming Sunday, facing Marc Diakiese at UFC Fight Night Hamburg.
The fighter was supposed to compete at UFC Fight Night London, but an eye infection and the death of a close friend put those plans on hold.
"Exactly man, it came at fight week. It was for sure the worst experience I ever had in my fight career because I put a lot into this training camp...the last training camp, then my opponent kind of dropped (out of the fight). Then I got a new opponent on five days notice, like a lot of things (happened) you know. One of my good friends and a main sponsor, died like a week before (the fight)...a lot of things happened. Then I got the eye infection and it was like kind of messed up you know, it was crazy. It took me like a month to recover from the eye infection, with different kind of antibiotics and everything. I believe everything happens for a reason, so I never complain," says Haqparast in an exclusive interview with Fightful's James Lynch.
Haqparast is looking to pick up his first win under the UFC banner, having suffered a defeat in his UFC debut to Marcin Held at UFC Fight Night Gdansk.
In Haqparast's mind, all the hard work that was put in before the fight should lead to a victory over Diakiese.
"I don't like to give predictions, I don’t like to trash talk. My goal is to always go in there and put on the performance of my life, put on an amazing show...an amazing fight. I know that if I display my whole skillset...my potential, with a perfect camp...victory is 100% on our side. I train three times a week, I wake up and my first training session is at six in the morning. I wake up a 4:30am, you can't sacrifice more than this ...you can't wake of a three in the morning...you need sleep. I know I sacrificed more than everybody, I worked with the best and I waork as the hardest guy. That fills me with confidence, it doesn't matter who the UFC says (to fight)...a top ten guy. I fight everybody because you can’t work more than this, its impossible...that's why I'm so confident," says Haqparast.
UFC Fight Night Hamburg takes place on Sunday, July 22 from the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany with Mauricio Rua and Anthony Smith headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on Fox Sports 1.
