PFL star Haider Khan desires to encourage British Pakistanis

“I need to set the usual,” combined martial arts (MMA) fighter Haider Khan tells BBC Newsbeat forward of the largest combat of his profession in Dubai later.

The 25-year-old from Oldham – nicknamed Darth Vader – goes into the bout in opposition to Saudi Arabia’s Mostafa Rashed Nada with a 9-1 win-loss file.

This weekend is billed because the PFL’s greatest but, and Haider will seem on the undercard for the principle occasion between light-weight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, from Russia, and Eire’s Paul Hughes.

It will likely be the biggest crowd Haider’s fought in entrance of in his 5 years since turning professional, and he is not solely centered on successful with such an enormous platform.

“I need to be that individual for folks to point out their dad and mom once they get residence in order that they have a better time pursuing it,” he tells BBC Newsbeat.

Haider received into MMA whereas he was at uni. Earlier than that, he was a promising rugby league star.

After greater than a decade on the pitch and signing an academy contract, he quickly realised he “did not actually love the game any extra”.

“I do not suppose I ever actually did have that love. I used to be simply good.”

However when he first received into MMA, he says he felt like “God made me for preventing”, however feels it is not his solely function.

“I need to encourage folks to do issues, however not simply within the MMA group,” he says.

“There’s loads of issues we have not carried out as British Pakistanis. Why not be the primary one to go do one thing in a unique realm?

“You have to set the requirements and hold pushing. The doorways will open for those who hold working laborious.”

More and more, British Pakistanis are making their mark on MMA however there’s nonetheless but to be a British Asian main world champion.

In 2021, Faisal Malik spoke to BBC Sport about his ambitions to be the primary UFC champion from a Pakistani background after making a reputation for himself within the European MMA.

Faisal agrees that seeing position fashions in high promotions will assist to drive different British Asians to ascend within the sport.

He now runs his personal fitness center – Legends MMA, in Luton – and tells Newsbeat that about 300 to 400 college students come by way of every week.

He estimates {that a} good 80% of these are British Pakistani.

Faisal says he confronted some obstacles resulting from his background throughout his personal profession, however is not satisfied there’s the identical “glass ceiling” in MMA generally seen in different sports activities.

“MMA remains to be new,” he says.

“It is nonetheless early doorways. Give it one other 5 to 10 years and you may see guys preventing within the high promotions.”

Participation in MMA has been helped by the game’s altering picture, in keeping with Faisal.

Now 31, when he began out he’d hear family and friends inform others he was into “cage preventing” – referring to the eight-sided octagon ring the place fights happen.

“There was no future in it, that is what everybody would say to me,” he says.

“It was seemed down upon.”

Now Faisal says he has dad and mom bringing their kids to his fitness center, eager for them to spar and be taught expertise.

“It is extra mainstream now,” he says.

“It is extra interesting to British Asians as a result of it is all over the place.”

Faisal believes that fighters will progress if they’ve the backing of followers – and their households.

Haider says he is fortunate to have had supportive dad and mom – even when his mum’s by no means watched him within the cage.

It isn’t simply her son she does not need to see damage. “She does not even need to see me damage another person,” the 25-year-old says.

“She hates the truth that I combat however she loves the truth that I am doing one thing that I really like.”

As for that nickname, impressed by the Star Wars villain, Haider says it is a reference to his “darkish facet”.

“It is a completely different facet of my character that I get to uncage within the cage,” he says.

“I simply cannot have that individual throughout from me considering they’re higher than me.”

He is hoping the pressure might be with him inside it later.

Hearken to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays – or pay attention again here.