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"I´m Coming For What Is Mine!" - Interview With Former UBO World Champion Djamel Dahou

 
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June 8, 2020 / BY UBO PRESS OFFICER

 
UBO  -  Universal Boxing Organization™

Las Vegas-based former Universal Boxing Organization™ (UBO) World Welterweight Champion Djamel “King” Dahou (14-0, 13 KOs) from Algeria is, almost miraculously, in the beginning stages of starting a comeback he has worked very hard to get firmly off the ground for the last five years.

 
 

Still only twenty-eight, Dahou won the UBO World title at only twenty-two back in September of 2014, but not long after a fight the following December he suffered two herniated discs and had a long struggle to be able to return in March of 2017.


Only a few weeks later disaster struck again and the old injury reoccurred. Confined to a wheelchair, and going through four back-surgeries, Dahou was told by doctors that he may never walk properly again, and certainly never fight again.


But, with will-power and determination only reserved for a special group of people on this earth, he never gave up on his dream to return to the ring. And now, three years and three months after his last fight, he has been cleared by doctors to resume training.


 
 

Q: You are now medically cleared to start your comeback. Can you tell us a bit about what happened in the days, weeks and months after your last fight which has kept you out of the ring for so long?

A: Finally I got cleared by my neurosurgeon to get back in action again. I’m not going to lie, I went through a lot in the last 5 years. I had 4 surgeries, one after other, and been in the hospital in and out for months. From the youngest UBO world champ in history to a poor guy using a wheelchair 24 hours a day for months, that says it all.

Q: You had a long break between fights from 2014 to 2017, also due to injury. How have you kept motivated to work for a comeback? Did you consider, or even think, that you would never fight again?

A: Actually, some of the doctors told me that I will never be able to fight again, and believe it or not one doctor said that I will never be able to walk properly again since I lost complete control or my left leg at that time. But I kept saying to myself, “Djamel, you can do it”.

With all respect to the doctors, I’ve never listened to them on this one.

Even though I was laying down basically 24 hours a day, I never missed a training session, I mean virtually. In 2015 I had my first back surgery, it took me almost 2 years to recover, I made my comeback in 2017 and it was just a 6 round tuneup fight. Then a couple of weeks after that I hurt myself again very badly, I couldn’t even walk.

Motivating myself during that time was the toughest thing to do, especially hearing doctors say that you are done, but, Hamduallah, I believe that everything happens for a reason, and my dad always tell me: “son, God will never let you down”. I have a very strong faith, and believe in God, and that’s my secret so that I’m making my comeback very soon to chock the world.

Q: So, what is the plan now? Have you already started training, and when do you think you will be ready for your first fight back?

A: The plan is to get back in shape like I was before when I used to knock everybody out. My training is going good, and I’m working with a legendary trainer Eddie Mustafa Muhammad here in Las Vegas.

Our plan is to a do couple of small fights after this pandemic, to build the confidence back, then we target my UBO World title. I’m saying “my title”, because it’s still mine. Nobody beat me to take my title away from me.

I´m coming for what is mine! I will become a two-time UBO World Champion in 2021, that's a promise!

Q: You are truly an inspiration to boxers, athletes and people in general, that you should never give up if you want something bad enough. Do you have some words for those who may find themselves in a similar situation to the one you were in?

A: My advice is to never give up on your dreams, no matter how bad the things and situations are going. To the young people out there, work smart and hard. You guys need these two ingredients to succeed.

No matter what you are going through, you have to keep your mind positive because in my situation I was paralyzed in the eyes of my doctors and doubters, but in my mind and eyes I was completely fine. That’s the secret of using your positive mind to heal whatever you are going through.

Q: Anything you would like to say in closing?

A: I want to thank god first for blessing me in this journey. I want to thank my family for being so supportive since day one. I want to thank the UBO staff for all the help and support they gave me since 2012 when I became a UBO All-Africa champ, they never let me down.

A big thanks to my fans out there, and finally I want to give huge and special thanks and credit to my lovely wife Desiree for all the love and support that she gave me since we met, and she still has my back.

We have been through a lot together, we got married during very tough times, I couldn’t offer her nothing special beside my heart, and she gave up everything she was dreaming about just to make me feel good, and now it’s my time to make her proud.

I will be a two-time UBO world champ for her, God willing!

 

 
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